Real field reports and columns on Japan's adult-entertainment world
News
Authorities announced on the 19th that they had broken up a group using social-media platforms such as Twitter to draw women into prostitution, arresting two ringleaders — a man and a woman — on suspicion of violating the Anti-Prostitution Act (procuring). The victims included teenage girls, and police had stepped up their investigation given the impact on minors.
News
On the 14th, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested two men in Tokyo on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act (causing a person to engage in obscene acts) for running a 'JK business' that used high school girls to provide sexual services. The victims are believed to include several high school students, and police are working to uncover the full scope of related establishments.
News
On the 15th, the National Police Agency published a report compiling its findings on ties between the sex industry and organized crime groups. Cases of sex-business operation or profit provision involving organized-crime figures confirmed nationwide in 2019 reached 165, up roughly 10 percent year-on-year. While organized-crime exclusion ordinances continue to be put in place, tracking increasingly sophisticated money movement remains a challenge.
News
Six sex establishments that kept operating despite closure requests issued under the state of emergency were cracked down on by police. All were found to involve unlicensed operation or violations of the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act, prompting calls for strict punishment of what was described as 'unscrupulous businesses exploiting the pandemic.
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Under the state of emergency declared on April 7, seven prefectures including Tokyo issued closure requests to many types of business, including sex establishments. But sex establishments were excluded from eligibility for cooperation payments, drawing strong criticism from industry groups and operators who called it 'discriminatory treatment.
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As the novel coronavirus spread, prefectures across Japan began asking customer-facing businesses, including sex establishments, to voluntarily suspend operations. With the requests carrying no legal force, industry groups were divided in their response, and many establishments kept operating with no clear standard for infection control. Experts called for a clear legal framework.
News
On the 10th, Osaka Prefectural Police arrested a 47-year-old man from Chuo Ward, Osaka City, on suspicion of violating the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act (fuei-ho) for operating a non-store-based sex business without notifying authorities. The man is believed to have run an unlicensed 'delivery health' (out-call) service for at least three years, and police are continuing their investigation with an eye toward building cases against additional individuals.
News
On the 17th, the Public Safety Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested three leaders of an illegal scouting group based in Kabukicho on suspicion of violating the Employment Security Act. The group allegedly recruited women off the street and steered them to sex businesses in Tokyo, collecting ongoing referral fees known as 'scout-back' payments. The major early-2020 crackdown sent shockwaves through the industry.