Taiyoshi Hyakuban opened in the Taisho era over a century ago in the largest red-light district in western Japan, Tobita Shinchi. Like many brothels of that era, it assumed the form of a ryōtei, a luxurious Japanese-style restaurant to avoid detection. Over time, it ceased its operations as a brothel and became a traditional Japanese eatery. Historically, red-light districts in Japan were characterized by their otherworldly extravagance, not unlike the bathhouse depicted in the 2001 film Spirited Away. The shrine-style exterior alone is awe-inspiring, but there’s another entrance, a replica of the famously ornate…
