Asakusa Rocks is the the standout club in a franchise of strip clubs dotted around Japan. The stage is quite large with elaborate setups and a runway that terminates with a rotating stage in the center of the audience. The theater holds about 100 patrons plus some standing room in the back for late-comers.
Getting there was no problem since the theater was only about 6 blocks from Asakura station. Probably not a bad idea to bring along a map though because those Tokyo streets are notoriously hard to navigate. Upon arrival, I simply walked up to the payment window, put down my 4,000 yen and went inside.
Now, you might be thinking to yourself, "I've heard that some Japanese sex establishments have a problems with non-Japanese people entering. Do strip clubs have a problem with gaijin?" Well, speaking as someone who is ethnically Japanese, I haven't had any problems being accepting in but my appearance might be a mitigating factor. However, I have heard from other American travelers that virtually all clubs will let anybody in as long as they behave themselves. After all, they really just want your money.
After going through the small lobby, I entered the theater and stood against the railings since there was already a show in progress. And there she was. Jun was finishing up her set and was right there center stage bereft of all clothing and modesty. Right away I understood the benefits of the rotating stage. After getting to the end of the runway, the performer doesn't so much dance as present herself in a series of poses. As the stage rotates, everybody in the audience gets a good look at her from all angles. After one 360 degree turn, she switches positions a goes for another slow spin. And yes, she did spread her legs. Wide. By that I mean her feet were in different time zones.
After her 15 minute set, there was an intermission between sets where guys get up to leave, so I found a very good spot not too far from center stage. They played some French pop music while the men filed into their theater seats (no drinks, no tables.) Finally, the lights go down and the curtain rises. The stage is done up in cascading banners of white satin and trees painted white to perhaps resemble a set from A Midsummer's Night Dream. There is a tall staircase on stage from which 6 scantily-clad girls descend and do a surprisingly well-choreographed stage dance. Right away I recognized two of the dancers. One was AV cutie Mina Kawai who was, I learned later, dancing at Akasuka on a regular basis and unbilled on the marquee I might add. I also recognized Yuki Tsukamoto who remains one of my favorite AV girls. After the Japanese version of A Chorus Line, Ms. Kusanagi was brought out on stage wearing a full feather headdress and shimmering silver gown so as to introduce her as the headlining act.
Each chorus girl then performed individually progressing through their sets in a similar fashion. A little dancing on the main stage, disrobing, proceeding down the catwalk onto the rotating stage, showing off their goodies to a appreciative audience and then making way for the next gal. I don't mean to make it sound mundane or boring because it decidedly was not. All the girls were at least attractive, most downright gorgeous and you got to see everything without anything to distract you. It was like the Zen of stripping; being able to enjoy the female body in an atmosphere which distilled the experience down to it's essentials. The audience, mostly middle-age men and older, were clearly involved in the show but held their excitement to polite applause and the occasion gift bag or flower bouquet graciously received at the end of a set. Remember, there is no tipping in Japan so no money was exchanged on stage.
For the finale Jun Kusanagi did her set, so I got to see her again which was simply fantasic. Seeing her live, dressed up and then undressed showing off her ultimate body and her oh so heavenly face... so much better than watching her on video. Wow.
After Jun exited all the girls came out again for the farewell and that was it. I think the entire show lasted about 1.5 hours but I suspect I could have sat through another show without any complaint from the management. All in all a great experience and not at all unreasonable at $35US. If you're planning a trip to Japan, I highly recommend you stop in.
