Industry News — Crime, Regulation & Trends

Head of Illegal Scout Group 'Natural,' Defendant Obata, Admits Charges at First Hearing; Tokyo District Court News

Head of Illegal Scout Group 'Natural,' Defendant Obata, Admits Charges at First Hearing; Tokyo District Court

The first hearing in the trial of Hiroaki Obata (41), the head of the illegal scout group 'Natural,' charged with violating the Employment Security Act for introducing women to adult-entertainment establishments, was held on the 21st at the Tokyo District Court. Obata fully admitted the charges, saying 'I do not contest them,' and the prosecution set out the reality of the group dating back to around 2009 in its opening statement.

Elon Elon
Nationwide Simultaneous Investigation Into Illegal Scouting 2026: Arrests Up 40% From the Previous Year, Accelerating the Dismantling of Organizations News

Nationwide Simultaneous Investigation Into Illegal Scouting 2026: Arrests Up 40% From the Previous Year, Accelerating the Dismantling of Organizations

On the 11th, the National Police Agency carried out a nationwide simultaneous investigation into illegal scout organizations in the spring of 2026, announcing that it had arrested 51 people, about 40% more than in the same period the previous year. Several people connected to 'Natural' were among them, and the investigation aimed at the complete dismantling of the organization is reaching its climax.

Elon Elon
Twelve Years in Prison for the Ringleader of a Human-Trafficking Organization; Tokyo District Court Condemns 'Trampling on Victims' Dignity News

Twelve Years in Prison for the Ringleader of a Human-Trafficking Organization; Tokyo District Court Condemns 'Trampling on Victims' Dignity

On the 12th, the Tokyo District Court sentenced the ringleader of a wide-area human-trafficking organization to 12 years in prison. He is said to have sexually exploited more than 50 people in and outside Japan, and the presiding judge condemned the crimes as 'extremely vicious offenses that trampled on the dignity of the victims.

Elon Elon
First Simultaneous Crackdown of 2026: 19 Illegal Adult-Entertainment Operations Busted; Authorities Declare 'a Year of Tightening News

First Simultaneous Crackdown of 2026: 19 Illegal Adult-Entertainment Operations Busted; Authorities Declare 'a Year of Tightening

The National Police Agency announced that, as the first simultaneous crackdown of 2026, it busted 19 illegal adult-entertainment operations nationwide. With a revision of the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act also slated to take effect this year, authorities laid out an annual policy, stating that 'in 2026 we will tighten enforcement even further.

Elon Elon
2025 Trends in Adult-Entertainment Crime and the Outlook for 2026: Organization and Internationalization Accelerate News

2025 Trends in Adult-Entertainment Crime and the Outlook for 2026: Organization and Internationalization Accelerate

The National Police Agency released a report summarizing 2025 trends in adult-entertainment-related crime and its outlook for 2026. While the move toward organized crime and internationalization is accelerating, legislative measures such as the AV law and ordinance revisions are achieving certain results. With a new digital-regulation law slated to take effect in 2026, the year is expected to be a further turning point.

Elon Elon
Toward Stronger Exclusion of Antisocial Forces From the Adult-Entertainment Industry; Industry Association Announces Establishment of a 'Third-Party Review Body News

Toward Stronger Exclusion of Antisocial Forces From the Adult-Entertainment Industry; Industry Association Announces Establishment of a 'Third-Party Review Body

On the 15th, a coalition of adult-entertainment industry associations announced the establishment of a third-party review body to prevent organized-crime groups and quasi-organized-crime groups (hangure) from entering or becoming involved in the industry. The body will review the ties of member outlets' operators and associates to antisocial forces and will operate a system for granting and revoking a certification mark.

Elon Elon
Organizations Funneling Women Into Sex Work Around Host Clubs Raided; 35 Arrested in Tokyo and Osaka News

Organizations Funneling Women Into Sex Work Around Host Clubs Raided; 35 Arrested in Tokyo and Osaka

On the 10th, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Osaka Prefectural Police arrested a total of 35 members of organizations that used host-club tab debts to funnel women into the sex trade, on suspicion of violating the Anti-Prostitution Act and other laws. For the first time, a structure in which host clubs and adult-entertainment establishments 'conspired' to exploit women was built into a case.

Elon Elon
Nationwide Coordinated Investigation Into Cases of Harm to Minors; Simultaneous Operation Across 47 Prefectures Protects More Than 50 Victims News

Nationwide Coordinated Investigation Into Cases of Harm to Minors; Simultaneous Operation Across 47 Prefectures Protects More Than 50 Victims

Under the direction of the National Police Agency, police in all 47 prefectures simultaneously carried out searches and protective operations targeting the sexual exploitation of minors. In an intensive 48-hour operation, more than 50 underage victims were taken into protection, and more than 100 people involved were arrested or referred to prosecutors.

Elon Elon