Rest or Stay:
Offering privacy and intimacy to all that seek it, from young lovers longing for some unsupervised time alone to married men and women, wishing to conduct illicit affairs in the comfort of secure anonymity. The Love hotel comes in many shapes and sizes, be it high-end modern luxury or mock Fairy tale castles; there is a Love Hotel to suit all tastes and fantasy. Whilst the history of love hotels ( rabu hotera) can be traced to the Japanese early Edo period when establishments appeared as inns and tea houses, the Love hotel as it is known today developed in the late 1960s to 70s.These uniquely Japanese lodgings have gained cult status with their typically quirky, kitsch or over indulgent décor and architecture, many reflecting the style of the property boom of the 70s and 80s. Although much has been written and photographed in respect of the interiors of these hotels, I felt the exteriors and the " Rest or Stay" signs in particular deserved to be documented. The aim of the book being to share a small insight into the style and design of these unique hotels signs and the architecture that surrounds them.
Offering privacy and intimacy to all that seek it, from young lovers longing for some unsupervised time alone to married men and women, wishing to conduct illicit affairs in the comfort of secure anonymity. The Love hotel comes in many shapes and sizes, be it high-end modern luxury or mock Fairy tale castles; there is a Love Hotel to suit all tastes and fantasy. Whilst the history of love hotels ( rabu hotera) can be traced to the Japanese early Edo period when establishments appeared as inns and tea houses, the Love hotel as it is known today developed in the late 1960s to 70s.These uniquely Japanese lodgings have gained cult status with their typically quirky, kitsch or over indulgent décor and architecture, many reflecting the style of the property boom of the 70s and 80s. Although much has been written and photographed in respect of the interiors of these hotels, I felt the exteriors and the " Rest or Stay" signs in particular deserved to be documented. The aim of the book being to share a small insight into the style and design of these unique hotels signs and the architecture that surrounds them.
