Jakarta – The capital of Japan, Tokyo, is now referred to as the sex capital of Asia. That title emerged due to Japan’s economic decline, which has led to an increase in poverty.
Quoting CNBCIndonesia.com, many foreign men are now seeking ‘sex tourism’ in Tokyo. This situation is the opposite of when Japan’s economy was at its best; men from that country would go seeking similar tourism in poorer countries.
This phenomenon is also acknowledged by the Secretary-General of the Youth Protection Liaison Council (Seiboren), Yoshide Tanaka. He mentioned that Japan has become a poor country.
A park near the Seiboren office is known as a place for sex trafficking. The organization noted an increase in foreign visitors to the area after travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic were officially lifted.
“However, now we see more foreign men.” They come from many countries. They are white, Asian, black, but the majority are Chinese,” he explained, quoted by This Week in Asia South China Morning Post.
There is no one assigned as a pimp. However, the visitors will seek paid sex from those who are willing to do it.
Around 30 women are waiting for calls at 8 PM. Bargaining transactions were also seen in the park to get the desired price.
Some foreign tourists were also seen arriving in groups. They will be accompanied by a translator to help with negotiations. Some people were seen carrying cameras to secretly take pictures of the girls. Several other people are live-streaming activities in the park on social media.
It seems that many people are interested in the activities at Okubo Park. It was recorded that a video uploaded on social media X last year gathered 12 thousand likes.
Several girls who offer themselves are said to prefer foreign nationals. Because they are afraid that customers from Japan are undercover police.
Kazuna Kanajiri, a representative of Paps, a non-profit organization that offers support to victims of sexual violence, explained that Okubo Park has become a ‘sex tourism’ spot for foreign visitors. Women who walk around there will be approached to engage in sexual activities.
“However, there has been no effective action to address this situation,” said Kanajiri.
This fact is also known by the members of parliament. They said they were afraid Japan’s reputation would be damaged because there is sexual services in Okubo Park.
“The reality is that Japan has become a country where foreign men can acquire young women and essentially buy sexual services,” said Kazunori Yamanoi of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the country’s main opposition party. He has long advocated for laws regulating the sex worker industry.
Meanwhile, the police are making efforts to regulate the area. At least 140 women have been arrested for allegedly engaging in street prostitution last year.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department recorded that 43% of those arrested were women sold by adult clubs. Some workers are said to have quotas that need to be met to repay the club’s debts.
It was reported that one session is priced at an average of 20,000 yen or around 2 million IDR. The price can drop to 15,000 yen or 1.5 million IDR when business is slow.
Women involved in street prostitution face many dangerous risks. Starting from physical violence, extortion, and sexually transmitted diseases.
Miya, a pseudonym, recounts that the customers she encounters are often rude. Even one of her friends was beaten by a foreign customer and demanded to return half of the money because he didn’t reach orgasm.
When trying to help her friend and run away from the man, Miya was kicked, and her friend was threatened to return his money to stop the behavior. Her friend returned the man’s money, and they did not file a criminal complaint because they felt they would not get justice.
