love hotel, leisure hotel

No room at Japan's Love Hotels at Christmas

By Jonathan Head BBC, Tokyo

Like many other non-Christian countries, Japan has got into the habit of celebrating Christmas.

But as well as the usual decorations and presents, the Japanese have also made this season into an uniquely romantic one.

Guests pay according to how many hours they stay

For the country's famous Love Hotels - fantastic-looking roadside buildings which beckon travellers with flashes of neon - this is by far their busiest time of year.

Christmas Eve has, for reasons no-one has been able to explain to me, become the most romantic night of the calendar.

At a time when many Christians are in church, it has become a tradition for young couples to enjoy their first moments of passion; for suitors to propose marriage; for older couples to escape the noisy confines of the family home for a rare night of intimacy.

Ideally, this should happen in a luxury hotel. But these are booked up months in advance, and are beyond the pockets of many Japanese.

leisure
n.

Freedom from time-consuming duties, responsibilities, or activities.

idiom:

at (one's) leisure

1. When one has free time; at one's convenience: I'll return the call at my leisure.

[Middle English, from Norman French leisour, from Old French leisir, to be permitted, from Latin licēre.]

━━ n., a. 余暇; ((形容詞的)) 暇な.
at leisure　暇で; ゆっくり.
at one's leisure　暇な［都合のよい］ときに.
leisure centre　〔英〕 レジャーセンター.
leisure class　（the 〜） 有閑階級.
lei・sured　━━ a. 暇のある; 気楽な.
leisure industry　レジャー産業.
lei・sure・li・ness　━━ n.
lei・sure・ly　━━ a., ad. ゆっくりした; 落ち着き払った; のんびりと.
leisure suit　レジャースーツ.