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All Japan Osaka Taiyoshi Hyakuban
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Taiyoshi Hyakuban

This brothel-turned-restaurant features plenty of surprises and elaborate, extravagant architecture.

Osaka, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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Taiyoshi Hyakuban, brothel-turned-restaurant.   Ty19080914
The corridor.   Kazuki Ohtsu
Hotpot ingredients.   Kazuki Ohtsu
The restroom ceiling.   Lisa Pinehill
Taiyoshi Hyakuban at night.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
An ornate replica of the Yōmeimon gate.   Lisa Pinehill
Taiyoshi Hyakuban at night.   Kazuki Ohtsu
One of the dining halls.   Lisa Pinehill
The second-floor corridor with an arched bridge.   Kazuki Ohtsu
A historical marker introducing the building.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The lounge.   Lisa Pinehill
The interior.   Kazuki Ohtsu
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About

Taiyoshi Hyakuban opened in the Taisho era over a century ago in the largest red-light district in western Japan, Tobita Shinchi. Like many brothels of that era, it assumed the form of a ryōtei, a luxurious Japanese-style restaurant to avoid detection. Over time, it ceased its operations as a brothel and became a traditional Japanese eatery.

Historically, red-light districts in Japan were characterized by their otherworldly extravagance, not unlike the bathhouse depicted in the 2001 film Spirited Away. 

The shrine-style exterior alone is awe-inspiring, but there's another entrance, a replica of the famously ornate Yōmeimon gate, inside the lobby leading into a bygone era. The second-floor corridor runs in a square around a garden-style atrium, traditional arched bridges connect a variety of dining chambers with different themes and features.

For example, a few yakatabune-inspired rooms may have boat parts embedded in their walls and floors, while some rooms are designed to harken back to the age of the samurai. A few of the larger dining halls come with wooden stages, where geishas once danced and sang to guests.

The Japanese government designated Taiyoshi Hyakuban as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2000, considering its historical value. While the place is extravagant in architecture, a major factor in the restaurant's popularity lies in its reasonable prices. The affordable menu ranges from easygoing hotpots to sukiyaki and sashimi (or otsukuri as it is called in the area).

Related Tags

Architecture Restaurants History & Culture Brothels

Know Before You Go

Taiyoshi Hyakuban is a reservation-only restaurant and open every day except Monday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Note that the restroom is quite old and communal. The area may be somewhat unsafe at night so be careful when visiting.

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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

April 22, 2021

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Sources
  • https://gigazine.net/news/20151108-taiyoshi-hyakuban/
  • https://travel-star.jp/posts/12473
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/1999/03/26/national/nostalgia-buffs-covet-1918-brothel-turned-eatery/
Taiyoshi Hyakuban
3 Chome-5-25 Sanno
Nishinari Ward
Osaka, 557-0001
Japan
34.642576, 135.505686
Get Directions

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