Oriental Lounge Eve is a well apoointed group dating club in Tokyo. It is a very interesting place that goes to show just how extensive the adult entertainment industry in Japan can be.
There has been a lot of talk over the last few years about a supposed lack of interest in sex among Japanese people. Yet the existence of so many places like this suggests otherwise.
Of course one could see the rise of compensated dating itself as a system of larger issues in society. I may even be inclined to agree with that. But clearly people continue to be interested in sex and interaction with the opposite sex even, or especially, in Japan.
There is more than one Oriental Lounge in Japan. In fact there are many. In this review, I am writing about the Shinjuku location that I visited. I don’t imagine there is much difference elsewhere but I can’t be totally sure. At times there can be huge variation among places with the same owners and even names. For example one of the two Kirari Dating Cafes in Ikebukuro happily excepts foreigners while the other does not.
Oriental Lounge Eve Shinjuku
Oriental Lounge Eve Shinjuku is located in the Furin Kaikan building on the Kuyakusho-dori. It is accessed through an elevator on the street level.
The place gets so popular that they usually station some staff downstairs to help control the flow of people. The Oriental Lounge Eve Shinjuku website also has a bar on top that shows how many men and women are inside at the moment.
Inside the place is quite large for a Japanese establishment. It is set up like a lounge with various seating arrangements. There are plenty of restaurant style tables. There are also more intimate private areas and even a long traditional bar. At busy times all of the seats can fill up. So customers wait either at the bar or in another very large waiting room with rows of seats and some basic refreshments.
The entire thing is orchestrated by a large staff made up Japanese men and women in formal dress. They are more than willing to welcome in foreign customers though I don’t know how well they would fair with people who don’t speak at least some Japanese. Even for native speakers the system can seem a little confusing.
System, services, and summary
Although the lounge functions like a large bar and restaurant the place is meant for men and women to meet. It is possible for singles to enter but most people come in groups of at least two. There is a permanent ladies night sort of formula at play. So women can eat and drink at very little expense. Men however pay a premium to be introduced to the women inside.
Guys are seated and women are brought over to sit with them. There are 30 minute rotations and customers do have some discretion over who they want to spend time with. No one is forced to sit with anyone. And things can also be extended. Once a match is made the groups gets to ordering food and drinks. It’s not a cheap place by any means with normal drinks going for 3750 Yen ($34 USD) each. But it is hardly the most expensive place in Tokyo.
As a restaurant the place functions. The food is quite delicious and varied. But the service is limited by the sheer demand placed on the servers. Things take longer than you might expect. Some may even think things are delayed purposely to increase income. I don’t know if that is the case but 30 minutes can go fast when you’re sharing drinks with two Japanese beauties in their twenties. Many of the gals inside fit that description.
The women don’t receive any compensation for their time directly from customers. I am sure quite a few show up for free food and drinks. So it’s not totally different from other bars and clubs in some parts of the world. Some ladies surely exchange information with guys they like. I have also seen women leave the club with men. Oriental Lounge makes introductions and the rest is up to the people involved. It is an intriguing model. Two stars. 
Oriental Lounge. 2 Chome-23-1 Furinkaikan 5F, Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 〒160-0021, Japan. Click here for a map. Open every day from 6:00 PM until 5:00 AM. Phone: +81 03-6278-9955. Website: https://shinjuku.oriental-lounge.com
