Horinouchi-cho, located in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, is within walking distance of Keikyu Kawasaki Station and is an area with a historical background and unique culture. Its area is approximately 0.0648 square kilometers with a population of 1,431 and 1,288 households as of March 31, 2025.

Horinouchi-cho, located in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, is within walking distance of Keikyu Kawasaki Station and is an area with a historical background and unique culture. Its area is approximately 0.0648 square kilometers with a population of 1,431 and 1,288 households as of March 31, 2025.

This area was familiar to travelers during the Edo period as a part of Tokaido's Kawasaki-juku, and at that time, it was lined with inns with "meimori onna" (women who served as prostitutes), which in effect played the role of prostitutes. The area to the east of Kawasaki Inn, near Odoro and Horinouchi, was also known as a place where travelers heading to Edo would "finish their play" and the area strongly reflected the customs and culture of the inn.

Although the role of the inns came to an end with the development of the railroads in the Meiji period (1868-1912), geisha houses and rental rooms continued to exist in Horinouchi in secret, and there are records of a group called the "Horinouchi Geisha" being active there in the 1910s. During the chaotic postwar period, the area was reorganized as one of the "blue line zones," unauthorized prostitution districts scattered throughout the country, and Horinouchi was included in one of these zones.

In this "blue line zone," a small-scale form of adult entertainment was established where women provided sexual services for short periods of time behind the scenes, while ostensibly operating as restaurants and inns. These establishments were called "chon-no-ma," and consisted of a small room with only a futon and a washroom, and the users and women would change in a short period of time. They were an extension of the postwar black market culture, a clandestine sexual infrastructure. Because they often continued to operate without official permission and under the eye of the law, they became a target of police prosecution in later years.

In 1960, the first Turkish bath "Keihin Turkey" opened in Horinouchi, and with the amendment of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law in 1966, the area was officially licensed for the Turkish bath business. Since then, the area has developed into a soapland district and has become known as one of the leading entertainment districts in the Kanto region, second only to Yoshiwara in Tokyo.

Since the 2000s, the Kanagawa Prefectural Police have been increasingly exposing brothels, and in 2005, "chon-noma" brothels were all exposed at once. 2009 also saw the exposing of several brothels, and the illegal employment of foreign women became an issue. As a result, the number of illegal businesses has decreased and public safety in Horinouchi is gradually improving. For the latest information on public safety, please visit security information sites such as Gaccom.

The Horinouchi area is also dotted with historical spots and cultural facilities. At the Tokaido Kawasaki-juku Exchange Center, which introduces the history of Kawasaki-juku during the Edo period, visitors can learn about the culture of the inn through old documents and models. There are also old temples such as Shinpukuji Temple that form the spiritual landscape of the area.

Furthermore, Horinouchi-machi is home to a wide variety of restaurants, where you can enjoy both local flavors and sophisticated cuisine. Genres include the authentic Italian restaurant "acero," the classic Chinese restaurant "Panzutei," and the popular ramen restaurant "RAMEN Toriga. The nationwide Sushiro Kawasaki Daiichi Keihin Store is also located here, offering a wide variety of reasonably priced options.

Horinouchi-machi has been a place of "fun" and "relaxation" in varying forms from the Edo period to the present day. Walking through this area, where the vestiges of the entertainment district and the community that supports tourism and daily life intersect, you will feel as if you are touching the stratum of history.