Alpha Inn

Alpha Inn opened in 1979 as a ryokan and then became a business hotel – before the current owner's father, a fetish writer by trade, made a decision. The building it now occupies looks like a small castle from the outside, which is a reasonable way to describe a grey stone structure wedged between embassies in one of Tokyo's most expensive postcodes. Inside, all 26 rooms are designed around BDSM and fetish play, each fitted with suspension hooks, bondage frames, leather equipment and whatever else the particular room's theme demands.

Canadian photographer Nathalie Daoust spent months documenting the rooms and their regulars. Fashion brands have shot campaigns here. Hysteric Glamour’s designer gave an interview for the hotel's art book, released in late 2024. The current owner, Saori Imazeki, runs Alpha Inn with hopes in mind of making the place bigger and better, garnering guests for more than just stays, but for events within the community.