Japan’s nightlife scene can be a fun place to celebrate and blow off steam. It’s also beset with dangers, particularly for those who work there.
As street prostitution rises in Tokyo, so do incidents of people forcing women into sexual slavery. One recent arrest in Ikebukuro may be one of the most horrible cases yet.
[WARNING: Graphic descriptions of sexual exploitation and violence]
Paid only for her drinks, tracked via GPS
On October 14th, police arrested Suzuki Maoya, a 39-year-old manager of Girls Bar E-Wave Morning in Ikebukuro, along with 27-year-old employee Tano Aya. Authorities accused the two of pressuring a 27-year-old employee into prostituting herself in Shinjuku’s Okubo Park area.
A girls bar is a bar run by female staff, who engage customers as they drink in exchange for an hourly charge. They operate like maid cafes and concafes, but with an emphasis on staff/customer conversation.
Tokyo has a large number of girls bars, most of which operate strictly within the law. However, the 27-year-old alleged victim says that Suzuki and Tano’s actions went well beyond the law. As described, they amount to sexual slavery.
Suzuki reportedly labeled the employee “ugly” and demanded that she engage in prostitution to make up for her low bar earnings. In addition, Suzuki and Tano allegedly controlled the victim’s actions down to the last detail. The two made her carry a portable GPS device so they could verify her activity. She was also forced to sleep on the premises in a room in the back of the bar.
Tano has admitted to her part in the scheme. Suzuki, however, denies the charges.
“My body and my mind were in tatters”
The victim says that, within a three-month period, the pair forced her to sleep with around 400 men for money. They kept most of the revenue for themselves, paying her a mere 3,000 yen ($20) a day for food. They also forced her to keep receipts of everything she bought and ate. The pair didn’t even pay her the normal salary paid to bar staff.
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The case came to light after police arrested her for prostitution. She broke down in tears, telling them, “My body and mind are in tatters,” and that she felt trapped in the abusive power dynamic.
Police found evidence of physical violence against the woman in the form of around 20 bruises on her body. She told them that Suzuki would beat her with objects when he saw she wasn’t at her designated location. Authorities suspect she has been subject to physical abuse over an extended time period.
Nightlife violations keep authorities busy
E-Wave Morning, once a highly-rated girls bar, is closed amidst the scandal.
The news came as a shock to the neighborhood and to regulars of E-Wave Morning. Prior to this, the store had a stellar reputation, earning a 4.7/5 rating on Google Maps. It’s now listed as “temporarily closed.”
It’s unclear who owns the store and whether it will continue operation after this.
Street prostitution has been on the rise in Japan recently. Tourism is one factor driving the phenomenon. Another is women resorting to prostitution to pay off huge host club debts. A new law prevents hosts at host clubs from pushing their customers into sex work, legal or otherwise.
Sources
池袋ガールズバー店長、女性従業員に売春強要 3カ月で400人、報酬は食費のみ 「ブスで客がつかない」暴言と暴行、GPSで監視も. Storm Media Group
GPS持たせ従業員に路上売春させた疑い ガールズバー店長を逮捕. Mainichi Shimbun
AloJapan.com