Saitama

Saitama City and Omiya

Saitama City is the prefectural capital, in the southeast of Saitama Prefecture. It was formed in May 2001 when Urawa, Omiya and Yono merged, and became Japan's 13th designated city in April 2003. Iwatsuki joined in 2005, and the city now has ten wards, from Nishi to Iwatsuki.

Omiya Station, at the centre of Omiya ward, is one of Japan's leading rail terminals, and the city describes the area around it as the prefecture's largest commercial and business district. Omiya grew as the gate town of Hikawa Shrine and a post town on the Nakasendo. Kawagoe, in the west of the prefecture, is about 20 minutes from Omiya on the JR Kawagoe Line.

Where the ordinance allows business

Article 28 of the national Adult Entertainment Business Act bans store-based sex businesses within 200 metres of schools, libraries, child welfare facilities and similar sites, and lets each prefecture add prohibited areas by ordinance. Article 9 of Saitama's implementing ordinance (Ordinance No. 47 of 1984) bans soaplands, store-based fashion health and reception offices everywhere outside the Type 4 zones in its appended table.

The Type 4 zones are only parts of Miyamachi 4-chome in Omiya ward, Saitama City, and of Nishikawaguchi 1-chome in Kawaguchi City, listed lot by lot. Under Article 10, these store-based businesses and reception offices may not operate anywhere in the prefecture between midnight and 6 a.m.

Walk-in formats such as soaplands can only operate where the ordinance allows them. Delivery health is an outcall format used at a hotel or another place you choose. For outcall venues the area marks the reception or base, and the service range differs by venue.

Getting there

According to Saitama City, six Shinkansen lines stop at Omiya Station: the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Akita, Yamagata, Joetsu and Hokuriku. Omiya to Shinjuku takes about 31 minutes with no change, and Urawa to Tokyo Station about 25 minutes. Kawagoe City gives about 30 minutes from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe by Tobu Tojo Line express, and about 45 minutes from Seibu-Shinjuku to Hon-Kawagoe on the Koedo limited express.

How RED LIGHT JAPAN divides Saitama

This site splits Saitama Prefecture into these areas: Saitama City; Kawagoe, Sakado, Higashimatsuyama; Tokorozawa, Iruma, Hannō; Soka, Koshigaya, Kasukabe; Kawaguchi, Warabi; Ageo, Konosu; Kumagaya · Fukaya; Wako, Shiki, Kamifukuoka; Kuki and Hasuda; and Chichibu and Nagatoro. Each is divided again into station or city areas. Both store-based and outcall venues are listed in the area where the shop or its reception is.

The areas within each, starting with Saitama City: Saitama City (Omiya, Urawa, Kita-Urawa and Minami-Urawa); Kawagoe, Sakado, Higashimatsuyama (Kawagoe, Hon-Kawagoe; Tsurugashima and Sakado; and Higashimatsuyama); Tokorozawa, Iruma, Hannō (Tokorozawa; Sayama and Iruma; and Hanno, Hidaka); Soka, Koshigaya, Kasukabe (Kasukabe; Soka; Minami-Koshigaya; and Yashio, Misato); Kawaguchi, Warabi (Kawaguchi, Nishikawaguchi, Higashikawaguchi, Warabi, Hatogaya and Toda).

The remaining areas: Ageo, Konosu (Ageo and Konosu); Kumagaya · Fukaya (Kumagaya and Fukaya and Honjo); Wako, Shiki, Kamifukuoka (Wako, Asaka, Niiza; Shiki and Mizuhodai; and Kamifukuoka); Kuki and Hasuda (Kuki, Hasuda and Kazo); Chichibu and Nagatoro (Chichibu and Nagatoro).