It has been claimed that Japan, which is experiencing economic decline, has emerged as a new ‘center of sex tourism’ in Asia.
Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 17th (local time), “During Japan’s economic boom, men enjoyed illegal prostitution abroad, but today the situation has changed. The yen continues to weaken and the number of people living in poverty increases.” He said, “Foreign men are flocking to Tokyo to enjoy ‘sex tourism.’”
He added, “In parks and other places in Tokyo, there is an increasing number of young women coming out and waiting for customers before the sun sets,” adding, “In particular, the number of Chinese men going on sex tours to Tokyo is increasing.”
The Youth Protection Liaison Council (Seiboren), a Japanese youth protection group, told SCMP, “Japan has become a poor country, and prostitution has become so rampant that parks have become synonymous with prostitution,” adding, “Foreign men who come to Japan for sex tourism are white; “There are various people, including Asians and blacks, but most of them are Chinese,” he said.
Additionally, “Women in their teens and early 20s whose economic situation has worsened are turning to the sex industry to survive. “The situation is worsening with the number of violent incidents related to this increasing rapidly.”
Seiboren Secretary General Yoshihide Tanaka said that he has been supporting prostitutes in the Kabukicho area of Tokyo’s Shinjuku, Japan’s largest entertainment district, for the past 10 years, but that he was frustrated by the current situation where prostitution and violence incidents have increased.
“I meet 5 to 10 men a day… “Half of them are foreigners”
SCMP introduced the case of Louis (pseudonym), a 19-year-old woman engaged in illegal prostitution on the streets of Tokyo.
Louis wanders around Okubo Park in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, directly offering prostitution to men who visit the area. Okubo Park is very close to Shin-Okubo, Tokyo’s Korean village, and is locally called a ‘holy place’ for illegal prostitution.
Louis said, “I left home last February and came to Kabukicho. “I started going to the park (illegal prostitution) in April while indebted to my ‘host,’” he said. “I want to pay off my debt and buy good things. “I make money (through illegal prostitution) to go to a host bar every few days,” he said.
He continued, “We usually receive five male customers a day, but on weekends, there are twice as many customers.” He continued, “There are a variety of men (who come to engage in illegal prostitution) at the park, and about half of them are foreigners. “We have regulars from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong,” he added.
This woman claimed that she was exposed to the risk of violence every time she met a foreign customer.
“One of my friends (who works the same job) was attacked by a Chinese customer on the street a few weeks ago,” Louis said. “While we were talking about ‘price,’ a Chinese customer suddenly became violent, kicking my friend,” he said. “I’m lucky that something like this hasn’t happened to me yet, but (assaults by foreign customers) happen frequently.” reported.
Secretary-General Seiboren Tanaka said, “Customers engaging in illegal prostitution on the streets of Tokyo easily resort to violence because they know that prostitutes cannot report them to the police,” adding, “I believe that in the near future, there will be accidents where (illegal prostitutes) die.” He expressed concern, saying, “It is inevitable because no one cares about these women.”
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