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Love hotels are still hot in Japan
日本情人旅馆生意依然红火
Even in the midst of Japan’s deepest economic recession since World War II, the country’s love hotel industry is thriving.
即使在二战以来最严重的经济衰退时期，日本情人旅馆业依旧生意兴隆。
“I’d hate to use the term ‘recession-proof’，but it’s certainly proven very resilient over the last six to nine months,” said Steve Mansfield, CEO of New Perspectives, which operates six love, or “leisure，hotels in Japan.
“我不喜欢使用‘衰退的证明’这样的字眼,但是在过去6到9个月中，这个行业表现出极强的生命力。”斯蒂夫曼斯菲尔德如是说。他是“新前景”公司的执行总裁,该公司在日本经营着6家情人旅馆或者说“休闲”旅馆。
One of them, the Bonita Hotel in Isawa, boasts a 257 percent occupancy rate. Rooms can be rented for three to 24 hours.
其中在石和有一家叫“Bonita”的旅馆出租率高达257%，房间 可以在24小时内出租3次。
Mansfield’s company estimates the industry in Japan pulls in $40 billion a year in revenue.
据曼斯菲尔德的公司估计，日本情人旅馆业的年收人可达400 亿美元。
“It’s a natural human desire. Even these days, on the weekend, every love hotel is full of people — it，s hard to get in. You can never stop sexual desire,” said a woman with her boyfriend in Tokyo, who laughed in embarrassment when asked for her name.
“这是人之常情吧。即便是现在，一到周末情人旅馆里生意依然 火爆,要住进去还不太容易。性欲是从来都不会停止的。”在东京，—位和男友在一起的女士这么说。当请教她的名字时,她很窘迫地笑了。
Love hotels fill a need for privacy in a country where high population density often means couples have little time alone.
在一个人口密度很高的国度里,情侣们能单独相处的机会不 多,而情人旅馆填补了人们对隐私方面需求的空白。
Rooms offer a broad assortment of features, including karaoke machines, PlayStation game consoles, DVD players, a variety of cosmetics, customized condoms and indoor-outdoor Jacuzzis.
情人旅馆的房间提供多种物品，包括卡拉OK机、游戏机、DVD 播放机、各种化妆品、为客人量身定制的避孕套和户内外两用按摩 浴缸等。
Though required by law to have a front desk, most can be rented and entered without talking to a clerk.
尽管法律规定情人旅馆必须设有前台，但是大多数情人旅馆在 租住房间时不需要和旅馆职员讲话。
The days of Japanese being ashamed to enter love hotels are coming to an end, though, Mansfield said.
不过,据曼斯菲尔德说，日本人羞于人住情人旅馆的日子已经 一去不复返了。
" Seventy-five percent of our guests are members of our points program，he said. “They carry our points cards, they collect points and they receive gifts. That’s something people are very comfortable with, and I think that reflects the customers that we attract.”
他说:“75%的客人是积分制会员，他们带着积分卡积分并换取礼物。人们很喜欢这样做,我认为这反映出我们吸引了客人
Takashi Yamamoto, who designs love hotels in Tokyo, agreed.
该公司在东京的情人旅馆设计师山本贵也同意这样的说法。
“The bad image that love hotels had has faded over time. Also, customers started to raise their voices and became more selective about choosing hotels. In response, management has improved.”
“随着时间的推移,情人旅馆的坏名声消退了。客人们也敢于提髙嗓门，对于旅馆的选择也更挑剔。因此,情人旅馆的管理也得以改善了。”
The flashiest love hotels are found in Osaka, including a Hello Kitty-themed hotel and one with room featuring a meny-go-round.
最引人注目的情人旅馆在大阪,有一家情人旅馆的主题为Hello Kitty,并有一间以旋转木马 为特色的房间。
Tokyo hotels tend to be tamer, focused on winning customers with amenities. The Style A Hotel, for example, offers a suite for $ 190 that includes a full-size Jacuzzi andprivate sauna.
东京的情人旅馆相对循麵矩,他们把注意力集中在为客人提供方便上。例如Style A旅馆在房 价为190美元的套房里安放了大型的按摩浴缸,还提供私人桑拿。
Though young couples make up the majority of customers, they are not the only ones. One man, who declined to be named, said: “I go to love hotels when I’m drunk and don’t feel like going home.
尽管年轻情侣占了客人中的大多数，但不是全部。有一位拒绝透露姓名的男士说，“我有时喝 醉了不想回家，就到情人旅馆去。”
Whatever the reasons, the hotels have been doing well enough that Mansfield recently went to London, seeking investors to expand.
不管出于什么原因,情人旅馆的生意一直很火。曼斯菲尔德最近去了伦敦，他想寻找投资人来 扩展自己的业务。
“The industry has 25,000 hotels, and through our research we’ve worked out that 90 percent of owners have five or fewer hotels,” he said.
他说：“从事情人旅馆行业的有2.5万家,但据我们的调査显示，90%的业主只拥有5家或更 少的旅馆。”
That fragmentation is a structural inefficiency in the market, he said, one he would like to help correct.
他表示,这种分散的状况导致市场结构失调，他想要去改变这种现状。
