Yamagata

Yamagata City: the station front and Nanoka Town

Yamagata City is the capital of Yamagata Prefecture. The city's fourth central-area revitalisation plan describes a centre formed by two commercial districts, the Yamagata Station front and Nanoka Town (Nanokamachi), with businesses clustered in a loop that links them. Kajo Park, inside the walls of Yamagata Castle, is a short walk from the station.

Where the ordinance allows these businesses

Article 28 of the national Entertainment Business Act bans shop-type sex businesses within 200 metres of schools, libraries, child welfare facilities and similar sites, and lets each prefecture add facilities and prohibited areas by ordinance. Article 10(1) of Yamagata's ordinance adds hospitals and clinics, city parks, community halls and museums.

Article 10(2)(1) bans soapland-type businesses (Act Art. 2(6)(i)) and shop-type fashion health (Art. 2(6)(ii)) throughout the prefecture. Article 10-4(2) also bans reception offices, where an outcall business takes customers in person, throughout the prefecture.

Walk-in formats such as soaplands can only operate where an ordinance allows them, and in Yamagata there is no such place. Delivery health is an outcall format used at a hotel or another place you choose; the area usually marks the business's base, and the service range differs by venue.

Access

According to the prefecture's tourism site, the Yamagata Shinkansen reaches Kaminoyama-Onsen from Tokyo Station in about 2 hours 35 minutes, and Yamagata Station about 10 minutes later. By air, JAL flies from Haneda to Yamagata Airport in about 1 hour 5 minutes, and a shuttle bus takes about 35 minutes into the city.

How RED LIGHT JAPAN divides Yamagata

For now the only part of Yamagata Prefecture with areas on this site is Yamagata City, which is split into Yamagata Station Front and Nanoka Town. Venues based near the station are listed under Yamagata Station Front, those around Nanokamachi under Nanoka Town.