LeLe TV
Updated: October 23, 2026 (Japan time). The short version: according to LeLe TV's partner shops, several Yoshiwara shops, including the BLUE group (BLUE TOKYO and BLUE TOKYO PREMIUM), have confirmed they are ending their pickup service (sougei), and other shops are expected to follow during November. If you are going to Yoshiwara from November onward, plan your travel as if there is no pickup. Below are the shop notices published so far, the reasons, and how to get there.
1. What has changed, and from when?
Until now many Yoshiwara soaplands offered free pickup (sougei): you went to a station such as Minowa, Minami-Senju, Nippori, Asakusa or Tawaramachi, called the shop, and a car came to collect you and took you back to the station afterwards. That service is now being dropped shop by shop.
Our partner, the BLUE group, has told us clearly that its pickup service is definitely ending, and expects other shops to stop during November as well. Beyond that, these are the notices we could find publicly:
- エマーブル (Aimable): its official site says 「関係各所の指導に伴い、10月31日をもちまして送迎サービスを終了いたします」 (following guidance from the relevant authorities, the pickup service ends on October 31), so October 31 is the last day. (official site, checked October 23, 2026)
- ヴェルサイユ (Versailles): a diary post by one of its hostesses on Manzoku says that from November 1 (Sunday) both pickup and drop-off end, and that service continues as usual until the end of October. (Manzoku diary, October 21, 2026)
- Another high-end Yoshiwara shop has posted a 「送迎サービス終了のお知らせ」 (notice of the end of pickup service) on its official site, giving only 「諸事情」 (various circumstances) as the reason and no date.
On X (Twitter), one user posted on October 21 that in Yoshiwara 「10月末で送迎のサービスを終了するところが4件出てきました」 (four shops have announced their pickup service ends at the end of October), one of them a high-end shop at around JPY 80,000 total (source). Other posts say it is 「完全廃止」 (abolished completely), but none of them cite an official source.
So even if the shop you plan to visit still lists free pickup on its website (Rokumeikan's system page, for example, still does today), it may simply be that the page hasn't been updated. The exact end date for each shop is whatever that shop announces, but the safest approach is to plan on getting there yourself from November.
2. Why is it stopping?
According to our partner shops, the main reason is pressure and guidance from the police; shops decided that continuing pickups was not appropriate, so they will stop one after another. Aimable's public notice likewise cites 「関係各所の指導」 (guidance from the relevant authorities). So far the Metropolitan Police Department, Taito City and the Yoshiwara trade association have not issued any public statement; the reason above comes from the shops.
For reference, this kind of change has happened before: according to the official site of Yoshiwara's 「将軍」 (Shogun), following guidance from Ueno Police Station to every shop in Yoshiwara, shops have not been allowed to pick guests up at JR Ueno Station since April 7, 2022 (source). Some shops stopped pickups on their own even earlier; Pretty Girl (プリティーガール), for example, ended its pickup service at the end of November 2023 (source).
3. How to get to Yoshiwara from now on
Most Yoshiwara shops are around Senzoku 4-chome in Taito City, and even the nearest station is a bit of a walk. The times below are what staff at Pretty Girl (プリティーガール, Senzoku 4-16-10) actually measured on foot; other shops are in different spots, so times will vary:
- Minowa Station (Hibiya Line): about a 10-minute walk, the closest. Note that Minowa Station has no taxi stand.
- Minami-Senju Station (JR Joban Line): about a 20-minute walk.
- Asakusa Station (several lines): about a 30-minute walk.
- Uguisudani Station (JR Yamanote Line): about a 35-minute walk.
- Taxi: the same source says a taxi from Uguisudani Station is slightly cheaper than from Ueno Station, roughly JPY 1,000 (the meter decides).
- Bus: Taito City's Megurin loop bus and Toei buses stop nearby, an option if you have time. Check the route and stop names on Google Maps before you set off.
4. Tips for visitors from abroad
- Ask about transport when you book: ask "Is there still a pickup?" and "Which station is the closest walk?" and the shop will tell you.
- Allow extra time: instead of a car pickup you now walk 10–30 minutes, plus time to find the way, so leave 30 minutes earlier than your booking. At many shops, arriving late shortens your session.
- Put the shop address into your map app: searching the shop name or address (Senzoku 4-chome, Taito City) is easier than following a route map.
- In rain or late at night, take a taxi: with the Uber or GO taxi app you just enter the shop address, with no need to speak Japanese to the driver.
- Not sure? Ask us: LeLe TV support can check whether a shop still offers pickup and which station to get off at.
5. FAQ
Will no Yoshiwara shop offer pickup from November?
According to LeLe TV's partner shops, several shops including the BLUE group have confirmed they are ending pickup, and others are expected to follow during November. From November, plan your travel as if there is no pickup; each shop's exact end date is whatever that shop announces.
Why is the pickup service ending?
According to our partner shops, mainly because of pressure and guidance from the police. One shop's public notice also states it follows "guidance from the relevant authorities".
Which station is closest to Yoshiwara?
Minowa Station on the Hibiya Line, about a 10-minute walk to the Senzoku 4-chome area. Minowa Station has no taxi stand.
Can I take a taxi?
Yes. Just enter the shop address in a taxi app. A taxi from Uguisudani Station is slightly cheaper than from Ueno Station, roughly JPY 1,000, depending on the meter.
Can I still use the pickup before October 31?
Most shops that have announced the end say pickups continue as usual until the end of October. Check each shop's notice for details.
Not sure whether your shop still offers pickup, or the easiest way to get there? Just ask our assistant Ashu: Contact page. For shop prices see Yoshiwara Soapland Prices; for Traditional Chinese, see LeLe TV's Traditional Chinese site.
