Lust, desire and passion: the secret life of Japanese sex hotels

Belgian photographer Zaza Bertrand does not speak Japanese and could only catch snippets of phrases exchanged between people in the so-called rabuho, “love hotels” popular in Japan. This mystery turned out to be very attractive.

As writer Claire van der Bergh explains, rabuho are popular among Japanese people, especially those in their 20s and 30s who still have to live in their parents' house. From casual hookups to marital sex, the neon-themed rooms offer a rare opportunity to enjoy anonymity and romantic freedom.

Hotels have a fully thought out privacy system: guests can buy tickets from a vending machine, and if there is an interaction with a live hotel employee, then only through a one-way window so as not to violate anonymity.

Bertrand started by talking to people at the entrance to such hotels, but over time she realized that it was better to contact rabuho guests online. She immediately spoke about her intentions: the photographer did not want "anything sexual, maybe just a few hints." She wasn't going to pay these people for their time, but she was willing to pay for the room.

It was not difficult to gain trust: many Bertrand models wanted to keep photos for themselves as a keepsake of their date. The hotel rooms were elaborate, pretentious and worth remembering.

The photographer was not hindered by the fact that she could not interview her subjects in detail. The secrets between Bertrand and the guests reflect the mysterious, secret side of the dates that take place in these hotels.

Speaking of one of the most striking encounters in Rabukho, the photographer recalls a man who asked to be photographed without a partner. The first time she refused, but the second time she agreed to meet him. The man surprised her. Both were wary, but it turned out that the man just wanted to be photographed as a keepsake of a personal event. He just celebrated his 60th birthday.

The result of this project is the Japanese Whispers photobook, which lifts the veil of secrecy over the intimate and romantic life of young Japanese people.