It had been half a year since I'd been to Kanagawa. Making regular trips to areas outside central Tokyo is something I've only done in the last few years of a 14-year run. Each region's "local flavor" has gotten interesting to me.
I chose Shangri-La. The 130-minute course, ¥30,000. Kawasaki Horinouchi Minami-cho / around Kawasaki Station, open 10:00 a.m. to midnight.
Late Night in Kanagawa
The reason I use a soapland late at night varies by the night. Tonight it was a "can't-sleep night." I was lying in the hotel room staring at the ceiling, and before the date changed I called Shangri-La.
When I asked, "Is it okay even now?" they answered calmly: "We're open 10:00 a.m. to midnight." A shop where the reception's tone doesn't change even in the dead of night is proof the operation is solid. You don't get treated carelessly just because it's a middle-of-the-night call — that sounds obvious, but it isn't.
The girl arrived a little after midnight. I figured she'd be tired, but there wasn't a trace of it. Late-night shifts have people built for late nights. The Kanagawa area. A shop running overnight in an area like this is operated with an understanding of the late-night clientele.
A late-night 130 minutes feels a little different from a daytime 130. No rushing. Unhurried. She matched my pace. What I was after on a sleepless night was right there. The girl understood the late-night mood too, and didn't try to force the energy up. That sense of "knowing the room" was good.
When I finished the 130 minutes and stepped outside, the streets of Kanagawa were still moving. A town with people in it even at this hour makes loneliness harder to feel. I got back to the hotel, lay down, and was out fast. ¥30,000 for 130 minutes — I count the "night I could sleep" she made for me as part of that price.
On the "Density" of Time
A hundred and thirty minutes can feel like wildly different lengths depending on its density. There's a 130 that feels too fast, a 130 that feels just right, and a 130 that feels too short. Shangri-La was the third — meaning when it ended, I thought, "I wanted to stay a little longer."
I mean that as a compliment.
Time with the Girl
A soapland in Kanagawa, ¥30,000. If I had to sum up the experience of those 130 minutes at this price in one line, it comes down to "the time had high density."
More than the technical fine print, the "sense of really being in this moment" kept going. Few girls can build that.
If I Come Again
Shangri-La has a nomination system (requesting a specific girl — confirm by phone). Next time I want to repeat with a nomination. Kawasaki Horinouchi Minami-cho / around Kawasaki Station, 10:00 a.m. to midnight.
Bottom Line
| Rating item | Stars |
|---|---|
| Reception | ★★★★★ |
| The girl's vibe | ★★★★★ |
| Technique & service | ★★★★★ |
| Fullness of the time | ★★★★☆ |
| Price fairness | ★★★★☆ |
| Overall | ★★★★★ |
The combination of the city of Kanagawa and Shangri-La became, in my book, the "right answer."