Kitsch as erotic escape—a sweeping view of love hotel exteriors throughout Japan’s diverse terrains
In Love Hotel, French photographer François Prost (born 1980) paints a vernacular portrait of Japan far from the usual clichés, composed of ordinary roadsides, faded signs and varied architectural styles. The book compiles several hundred photographs of love hotel exteriors, shot in 2023 during a road trip between Tokyo and Shikoku Island. Created to offer a space for couples to conduct their amorous activities in privacy, far removed from family considerations, the establishments have become emblematic of Japanese popular culture. They are kitschy by design, appealing to the erotic pull of fantasy. Love Hotel spotlights hotels designed to resemble castles, cruise ships, cakes and faraway cities. Through the photographer’s deft eye, these flamboyant buildings figure as prisms through which Japan’s diverse landscapes—from its dizzying megalopolises to its orderly agricultural countryside—emerge into view.
STATUS: Forthcoming | 7/14/2026
This title is not yet published in the U.S. To pre-order or receive notice when the book is available, please email orders @ artbook.com
Published by Flashlight Publishing. Preface by Agnès b. Foreword by François Prost.
Kitsch as erotic escape—a sweeping view of love hotel exteriors throughout Japan’s diverse terrains
In Love Hotel, French photographer François Prost (born 1980) paints a vernacular portrait of Japan far from the usual clichés, composed of ordinary roadsides, faded signs and varied architectural styles. The book compiles several hundred photographs of love hotel exteriors, shot in 2023 during a road trip between Tokyo and Shikoku Island. Created to offer a space for couples to conduct their amorous activities in privacy, far removed from family considerations, the establishments have become emblematic of Japanese popular culture. They are kitschy by design, appealing to the erotic pull of fantasy. Love Hotel spotlights hotels designed to resemble castles, cruise ships, cakes and faraway cities. Through the photographer’s deft eye, these flamboyant buildings figure as prisms through which Japan’s diverse landscapes—from its dizzying megalopolises to its orderly agricultural countryside—emerge into view.
