Japan is host to a number of legal sex services. However, in recent years, there’s been a marked rise in illegal street prostitution. One area in Osaka is taking an unconventional approach to deterrence.
After receiving complaints about one corner of the Umeda hotel district from residents, police and city officials decided to take steps to brighten up the dark area. The research unit of the Osaka police suggested painting the road a bright color, such as yellow. Another expert suggested also dotting the road with aquarium-themed illustrations.

It appears to be working, say people connected to the project. Before the repainting, around ten or so women would be waiting on the street populated with per-hour hotels. After the repainting, they said, no one appeared to be standing around.
The rise in tachimbo
The trick, sadly, doesn’t address the reasons why street prostitution is increasing in the first place.
Street prostitution (立ちんぼ; tachimbo in Japanese) has risen in red-light districts like Tokyo’s Kabukicho and Shin-Okubo areas since the public health crisis. Areas like Okubo Park in Tokyo have become notorious for the practice.
A primary driver of the rise in street prostitution is the pestilent, predatory business known as host clubs. The clubs, where men entertain and drink with women at their tables, are notorious for using whatever means necessary to entice customers to spend as much money as possible. In many cases, hosts pretend to have romantic relationships with their customers in order to exploit their feelings for profit.
Many host clubs have also allowed women to get into serious debt through the urikakekin (売掛金) system, where women “borrow” money they have to pay off next month. That’s driven many women to resort to prostitution to whittle down their debts. In a sweep of Kabukicho this month, 30% of 88 women detained said they were trying to make money to spend at host clubs.
In some cases, the host clubs either encourage or force women to prostitute themselves to bring in more money. Earlier this year, for the first time, Tokyo police shut down one club for facilitating prostitution. A host at the club helped the woman had saddled the woman with a 10 million yen (USD $63,700) debt.
Planning a trip to Japan? Get an authentic, interpreted experience from Unseen Japan Tours and see a side of the country others miss!

"Noah [at Unseen Japan] put together an itinerary that didn’t lock us in and we could travel at our own pace. In Tokyo, he guided us personally on a walking tour. Overall, he made our Japan trip an experience not to forget." - Kate and Simon S., Australia

See a side of Tokyo that other tourists can't. Book a tour with Unseen Japan Tours - we'll tailor your trip to your interests and guide you through experiences usually closed off to non-Japanese speakers.


Want more news and views from Japan? Donate $5/month ($60 one-time donation) to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund to join Unseen Japan Insider. You'll get our Insider newsletter with more news and deep dives, a chance to get your burning Japan questions answered, and a voice in our future editorial direction.
Politicians in Japan have vowed to crack down on the clubs. In a bid to prevent that from happening, some clubs have rushed to promise they’ll self-regulate. An association of clubs in Kabukicho said in December 2023 that they would ban 18- and 19-year-old customers. They also promised to end the urikakekin system by April 2024.
Japan has several types of businesses, such as soaplands and so-called “delivery health,” that legally provide non-penetrative sexual services. Such businesses, however, are licensed and regulated.
Why this page doesn't look like crap
You may notice a few things about this page. First, it’s mostly content – not ads. Second, this article was written by a human, not a plagiaristic Turing machine.
Unseen Japan is a collective of independent authors. We work hard to keep our content free of intrusive ads and AI slop.
Help us keep it that way. Donate to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund to support our work. Regular donors will receive Insider, our paid newsletter with weekly bonus content about Japan. Plus, your contribution will help us produce more content like this.
What to read next

How The “No-Panties Cafes” of 1980s Japan Sparked a Sex Club Crackdown
Japan’s “no-pan kissa” were part of a wave of new sex establishments in the 1980s. They disappeared almost as quickly as they surfaced.

Japan’s Love Hotels: Everything I Didn’t Know Before Having Sex in Them
Wanna experience a love hotel in Japan? Don’t be caught off-guard – read up on a few gotchas you may not know about.

Has Tokyo’s Prostitution Alley Become a Tourist Destination?
The recent arrest of four women in a prostitution ring operating near Okubo Park highlights how the area has grown in popularity.
Sources
【速報】梅田のホテル街「立ちんぼ」エリアの道路を『黄色』に 明るい色に一変、犯罪行為一掃へ 大阪 科警研が助言、塗装工事後は確認されず. NTV
歌舞伎町を警視庁が一斉パトロール 「立ちんぼ」増加が社会問題に. TV Asahi News
歌舞伎町「立ちんぼ」逮捕は88人に 3割以上がホストクラブで遊ぶ金を稼ぐため. TV Asahi News