A Breath of Fresh Air
Oxygen bars offer an unusual nightlife alternative.
When
you visualize Tokyo's
nightlife, you might think of dance clubs, KTVs, and
pubs full of
off-duty workers smoking and drinking the
troubles of the week away. These days, however, a new
healthier craze has ___1___ in Tokyo: the
oxygen bar.
Although the Japanese have been inhaling
high concentrations of oxygen as
medical ___2___ for more than 50 years, a few Tokyo
operators began to offer oxygen for
recreational purposes in the mid-1990s.
___3___ a break from Tokyo's pollution, patrons
could drop in, put on a
facemask or
insert nasal tubes, and enjoy a
few minutes of air with high levels of oxygen. ___4___the
industry developed, bars began offering "flavored"
air with scents ranging from
mint to
strawberry to even vodka.
Naturally, people have to pay
through the nose for the
privilege of putting scented
oxygen up their noses. The cost ___5___ from place to
place but is usually around US$1 per minute, and
sessions can last for 10 to 20 minutes. Even
though there is no medical evidence to support the
health declarations made by oxygen
bars, patrons claim that a 20-minute breather
leaves them feeling ___6___ and calm, and the oxygen bar
concept has spread all over the world.
In ___7___ California, for example, oxygen
dispensaries, self-operated machines that distribute oxygen, are common sights in
gyms and malls. Tokyo, however, remains one step ahead.
In 2007, Japan's Air Press opened its first oxygen bar
for dogs.
|