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.
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.
What to read next
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For the first time, a court in Japan rules that hosts taking kickbacks from routing indebted customers to sex shops breaks the law.
Japan Group That Funneled Women into Sex Work Busted
Tokyo Police say Access, a social media-based “scout” network, targeted women who had racked up host club debts.
New Host Club Laws in Japan Would Ban Romance, Impose Hefty Fines
The clubs have come under fire for pushing female customers into debt and, in some cases, forcing them into prostitution.
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
