Love Motels?

As most of you know I have a fixation on Japan. As a matter of fact, part of Book 3 of the V.C.O.E. series takes place there. A friend of ours, a former San Diego-an, now lives there with his family. Here's a snippet of an e-mail he recently sent regarding the Japanese "love motel."

What does this have to do with romance novels? Well, it's kinda got me thinking. I typically write about women who have some life experience, are accomplished in their own lives BEFORE they meet their destined mate. But what if both the hero and heroine are successful in their careers, but neither has any experience with the dynamics of love relationships? Or one has kids and the other is taking care of his aging parents? The issue – no privacy.

As you read, keep in mind, these are not the sleaze shops we see on the news here in the U.S. (for example, a call girl wouldn't use a love motel to, er, conduct business in Japan) could you see a couple in one of your favorite novels going to a love motel?

Here's what Pete wrote:
"One of the more famous recent images of Japan are its "love hotels," those interesting establishments which provide privacy for couples who would otherwise have no place to go to be alone. They're known by many names, including "avec," "tsurekomi yado," and "motel" (which causes plenty of confusion when Japanese go to the U.S. for the fist time), but the industry seems to be encouraging the term "fashion hotel" to promote a more positive image for the 21st century. For $40 (a 3 hour "rest") or $80 (an overnight” stay"), couples can enjoy an intimate experience with total privacy, complete with separate elevators for incoming and outgoing guests and a pneumatic tube system that lets you pay without ever meeting anyone. "

"Generally located around the outskirts of Japanese cities or near freeway on-ramps, love hotels are often centered around a theme, like the Taj Mahal or Cinderella's Castle or Alcatraz Prison. (I'm holding for a room based on the final scenes from 2001:A Space Odyssey, complete with Monolith and space pod.) While the pragmatic concept of love hotels might seem odd to some, I believe they serve an important role in society here, and even help keep families from disintegrating. In the U.S., an eighteen-year-old boy who gets a girlfriend has an incentive to move out with her, perhaps making mistakes that both will regret down the road. But in Japan, where kids stay in the nest well into their 20s (and if they're the oldest son or daughter, live with their parents forever, taking over the family home and business, if there is one), everyone has access to all the privacy they could need."

Perhaps Kenoe Hatsept (character you meet in V.C.O.E. Books 1 and 2) will end up in one of these in Book 3? Perhaps the Taj Mahal themed place? Hmmmm...