So What Exactly “Happens” in a Happening Bar in Japan?

Before I start telling my story, I would like to introduce what a “happening bar” is. But before I come to explain to you what a happening bar is all about, I would like you to guess what you think is “happening” in this kind of bar, from the following three options:

1. Cosplay
2. Nudity
3. Sex

So, what’s your answer? Well, I guess you’re all wrong because all three things are included in the content of “happening”! In general, it’s for couples to go for a threesome or for a single man/woman to go for casual sex. In western countries, we call it a swinging club but in Japan, they call it a happening bar; cute isn’t it?

What “Happened” When I Visited

Now, I’m going to share with you about my first experience in a happening bar in Osaka, Japan. So, if you Google search for happening bars, you probably can find a lot of them in Tokyo but there are not many in Osaka. Well… there are some in Osaka, but to visit most of them you need to register for membership; there aren’t as many you can just walk in to.

The one that I went to also requires membership. But because my lesbian friend has a membership at there, my friend and I can walk in and pay with no questions asked. While we aren’t a couple, it was a cheaper cover charge for us to say that we were. (I don’t have a great memory when it comes to money, so I don’t remember how much less it was – but it was definitely a better deal.)

The atmosphere in the bar was quite dark and there was a fitting room with a lot of cosplay costumes. Those costumes were pretty old and not very good looking, so I barely touched them. When I went to the bar and wanted to order a drink, I was shocked by what the waiter told me. He said, “I’m sorry we cannot serve alcohol after midnight here. Only soft drinks”. I was like, “what the hell?! So everyone is just going to drink orange juice and think about sex? Oh my…”

Exploring the Bar

Anyways, we walked through the bar and came to an open area where people were drinking and talking to each other at different tables. It’s like a normal bar in that area, the only difference is that 95% or the customers are men! I only saw three girls at the bar, which included me. I talked to another girl and found out that she started hanging around there about one month earlier and now is a regular customer, every Friday she goes to have some liberal fun. She was wearing a maid cosplay costume when we met, and she looked cute. All the men were like wolves: they couldn’t stop staring at us! So I guess that’s what she really enjoys about it: she becomes the center of the world there!

I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but since I’m a researcher I had to find out how sex happened there. So I asked and they told me there are two private rooms behind the place and only if no one is inside, you are allowed to enter and have sex. What’s really funny is that you must cosplay in order to enter the room! Also, they will give you a timer which is set 60 minutes, and when the timer rings you must leave the room. I wanted to check out the rooms for myself, so I waited until someone came out. Finally, I got to see the room and it looked kind of like a disaster to me.

Why? Firstly, the bed sheets weren’t clean; secondly, the design of the room looked uncomfortable as there were two single beds lying close to each side of the wall …not big enough for a threesome! Thirdly, the decorations sucked! In the middle of the room, there was a crappy version of Miss Havinsham’s wedding dress standing up as decor! So for me, it’s a turn-off.

My Overall Experience

I didn’t stay for one whole hour of course. I did a little bit of foreplay with my friends, and then we left straight away. Maybe the happening bars in Tokyo would be more fun? I don’t know. But I wouldn’t go to another happening bar in Osaka, because the regulations here suck and Japanese men aren’t really my cup of tea anyway. But still, it’s an interesting experience and one you may be interested in checking out for yourself, should you ever be in Japan.