It had been six months since I'd been to Chiba. Turning my attention regularly to areas outside central Tokyo is something that's only happened in the last few years of an 18-year run. The "local character" of each region has started to get interesting.
I picked Nihonzuma. The 180-minute course, ¥34,000. Kisarazu area, open 10:00–03:00 (next day).
On 180 minutes as a stretch of time
How time feels changes with the situation. A boring 180 minutes is long; a fulfilling 180 minutes is short. Anyone experiences this, but after 18 years in this world, the "density of time" becomes an important axis of evaluation.
The 180 minutes at Nihonzuma felt short. "Losing track of time" is a worn-out phrase, but tonight was close to that state. At the end I had the sense of "I wanted to stay a little longer." I consider that the highest compliment.
High-density time has a common thread: the girl is "watching your state." Rather than running a manual, she's constantly judging what this person wants right now while she moves. The girl at Nihonzuma could do this.
The mood shifted naturally across the first, middle, and final stretches. Instead of moving at a fixed tempo, it sped up and slowed down in step with my reactions. This "living, breathing flow of time" is something that only comes together when high technique and deep experience combine. Even when I said nothing, the girl read my state and changed the flow.
Now that I'm 40, one of my criteria for judging "a good use of money" is "will I regret it afterward." The 180 minutes I spent tonight for ¥34,000 — zero regret. If anything, I think I should have come sooner. Nights that produce this feeling aren't that common, even across 18 years of experience.
Exploration by another name: the business trip
Coming to Chiba on business is down to work, but by now "researching the adult scene" has become one of the pleasures of coming to Chiba. It's close to a sense of understanding each region's culture with your body.
You can check out Nihonzuma here. Kisarazu area, open 10:00–03:00 (next day). The 180-minute course, ¥34,000.
On regional differences
I'll say honestly what I felt from the 180 minutes spent in Chiba. Compared with central Tokyo, the "temperature" of the service ran higher. Unhurried, no rushing. That's a feeling hard to get in urban areas.
The "ease" that regional delivery health carries was more comforting than I'd remembered.
On the next Chiba business trip too
If I have another trip, I plan to call Nihonzuma. ¥34,000, 180 minutes. This is value you can't measure by the logic of the city.
Wrap-up
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Service overall | ★★★★★ |
| Service | ★★★★☆ |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ |
| Would I go again | Yes, depends |
The combination of the city of Chiba and Nihonzuma became, in my book, "the right answer."