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Pay by the hour or the night. Order sexy underwear or condoms or anything else imaginable from a coin-operated machine. Anything goes at the Angelo Love Hotel in Osaka, run by Manager Ozawa and his efficient staff. Small living spaces, long work hours and the need for privacy drive 2.8 million Japanese a day to visit “love hotels.” But now, these unique establishments are fighting to stay afloat against the “entertainment police” who are shutting them down for what conservative groups deem to be overly risqué elements. In this intimate portrait, we meet the everyday people who frequent the fantasy-themed rooms for refuge, privacy and play: a married couple visit to keep a spark alive in their relationship; two gay lawyers have nowhere else to meet; a popular dominatrix runs a thriving business. Love Hotel provides a rare glimpse into a secret world destined to disappear. Kathleen Mullen