Passersby walk at Kabukicho entertainment and shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, March 27, 2020. Photo by Reuters
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi vowed to eradicate prostitution involving Japanese women targeting foreign tourists after Japan was recently labeled a “new sex tourism country.”
Takaichi said during a question session at the House of Councilors plenary meeting on Nov. 6 that the rise in foreign tourists prostituting Japanese women in Tokyo, most notably in Kabukicho, is deeply worrying, Sankei Shimbun news site reported.
In July, four women were arrested in Kabukicho district for soliciting foreign tourists for prostitution, Japan Today reported.
Lawmaker Shioumura Fumika cited foreign news reports labeling Japan as “a new sex tourism country,” adding that the image of Japan as a country that does not protect the dignity of women is spreading internationally, Chosun Biz reported.
Shioumura warned that some foreign men view Japan as a place to buy sex with impunity, and that the enforcement system is skewed so that only women who feel they have no choice but to sell sex are arrested.
Takaichi acknowledged criticism that the current Prostitution Prevention Law only punishes those who facilitate or solicit prostitution and lacks clear penalties for sex buyers, Asia Business Daily reported.
She said the government would review regulatory approaches in line with social changes, stressing the need to prevent criminal organizations’ involvement and to protect the dignity of Japanese women.
Japan welcomed 31.65 million foreign visitors between January and September, up 17.7% year-on-year, thanks to its weak yen, increased flight connections and relaxed visa policies.
The figure marked Japan’s fastest pace in surpassing 30 million foreign arrivals, Kyodo News reported.
AloJapan.com