Response to Foreign Media's "Sex Tourism" Criticism
Potential Involvement of Criminal Organizations... Regulatory Review Announced
Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan, has stated that she will implement measures to eradicate prostitution, following the emergence of Japanese women engaging in prostitution for foreign tourists as a social issue. The government has decided to respond at the national level after a series of reports in foreign media describing Japan as a "new sex tourism destination."
According to reports from Japanese media outlets such as the Sankei Shimbun on the 9th, Fumika Shiomura, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, recently raised concerns during a plenary session of the House of Councillors, questioning Prime Minister Takaichi. She pointed out that, while the country is perceived as a place where foreign men can comfortably purchase sex, the structure remains such that only women who are compelled to sell sex are punished, expressing concerns about the deterioration of Japan’s international image.
Prime Minister Takaichi acknowledged the criticism that the current Prostitution Prevention Law only punishes those who facilitate or solicit prostitution, with no clear regulations for penalizing sex buyers. She added that the government would review regulatory approaches in line with changes in the social environment, emphasizing the importance of blocking criminal organizations from involvement and protecting the dignity of Japanese women.
On the 30th of last month, Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan, visited Korea to attend the APEC Summit in Gyeongju. Photo by Yonhap News
At the end of last year, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong published an article titled "Tokyo, Asia’s New Sex Tourism Capital," exposing the realities of prostitution in Japan. According to the report, a significant number of sex buyers are Chinese tourists.
Yoshihide Tanaka, Secretary General of the Japan Youth Protection Liaison Council, stated, "Even before sunset, young women are already waiting in parks that have become venues for prostitution," adding, "The situation is so severe that parks have become synonymous with prostitution."
The Sankei Shimbun reported that while the reality of foreign men engaging in "sex tours" in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district had previously been covered in some areas, these activities are now spreading overseas. The newspaper also noted reports that prostitution "tours" targeting foreigners are being distributed through social networking services (SNS).
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