The Toyoko area in Kabukicho has become famous as a hangout spot for runaways and Japan’s disaffected youth. That’s exposed those who gather there – many of them minor children – to danger as they’re targeted by unscrupulous adults who see an opportunity for exploitation. A recent arrest drives home the point and raises renewed questions about how best to protect Kabukicho youth.
Suspect forced his kidnap victim into sugar babying
Tokyo police arrested 37-year-old Takahashi Ryūta on charges that, in August 2025, he essentially kidnapped a 16-year-old runaway girl from the Toyoko area of Kabukicho near Toho Cinemas. He “offered” the girl a place to stay while forcing her into a life of prostitution.
Authorities say that Takahashi kept the girl in his residence for 20 days, during which he ordered her to engage in papa-katsu (パパ活), or sexual dating with older men. In all, Takahashi ordered her to sleep with somewhere between 20 and 30 men.
Takahashi managed the meetups via social media, charging 10K yen ($63) for sex with a condom and 50K yen ($315) for sex without. He kept most of the money, giving only a portion to his victim.
Police found the victim after her worried parents filed a report.
Stepped-up efforts to help youth in danger
The “Toyoko Kids” have become a well-known phenomenon in Kabukicho. Kids from all over the country who are either troubled or fleeing issues such as domestic violence find a second home among the community of runaways and those who otherwise don’t fit into Japanese society.
While they may be escaping danger at home, the danger on the street is also real. Some end up abusing over-the-counter medications, leading to overdoses. Others end up resorting to prostitution in nearby Okubo Park to make ends meet.
Some, in a bid to get off the streets, take to social media sites like X looking for someone to “save them.” That lands children in the hands of adult men who see, not a child in danger, but an opportunity for profit and sexual exploitation.
Many organizations have sprung up to help Toyoko youth. The most noteworthy is Colabo, run by Yumeno Nito. However, Yumeno’s outspoken feminism has made her – and the girls she attempts to help – a target of Japan’s anti-feminist right-wing. The hate campaign has repeatedly endangered the group’s funding and put girls who seek shelter with Colabo in physical danger.
Colabo isn’t letting up, however. The group is fundraising to open a Women Human Rights Center in Kabukicho by 2030. (You can donate to the project here.)
Unscrupulous men have also used aid organizations as a cover for abuse. Last year, Saitama police arrested 43-year-old Makino Masayuki, the head of a supposed Toyoko kids help org, for raping a 17-year-old.
The city of Tokyo also runs the Kimimamo @ Kabukicho facility to counsel Kabukicho youth. It’s seen 8,000 visitors to date and is planning an expansion set to finish this month.
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Sources
歌舞伎町で家出中の少女を自宅に連れ込み「パパ活」も指示か 男逮捕. LiveDoor News
トー横に家出中の16歳少女を家に泊め『パパ活』させたか. Yahoo! News / Sankei
「トー横」周辺で31人を一斉補導、最年少は小学6年生. 東京新聞
トー横キッズが歌舞伎町に居場所求める本当の訳 前編（開沼博）. 東洋経済オンライン
「苦しいけど…」トー横で体を売る家出少女の”切実な事情”. 日刊SPA
歌舞伎町拡充方針. TOKYO MX+
性搾取と女性差別に抗う女性たちの活動拠点を作る 「女性人権センター」建設プロジェクト. Colabo on Congrant
