Astonishing facts about Japan's sex industry

[virginjohn]

the “fashion health” (euphemism for sexual massage to include fellatio/hand-jobs/frottage) industry, which is perfectly legal in most places, brings in ￥678,000,000,000 a year ($8 billion). That’s only a fraction of the sex industry. In addition to “fashion health” there are also “image clubs”, in which similar sexual services are provided but the women wear uniforms (maid, nurse, policewoman, office worker, pregnant mother etc) and the sex shop often has special facilities, like a subway car. Think of mini-sexual theme parks and you have a good idea of what an image club is like.

According to the book, based on field studies and calculations, an established fashion health/image club brings in roughly $3 million a year in revenue, is visited by 32, 5000 customers, is open 12 hours a day, and the average waiting time for service is 20 minutes. There are 1,021 such shops in Japan. In recent years, S&M sex shops, have also seen a booming business. Dominatrixes (女王) are more well-paid than girls working as “the slaves” because it requires a certain level of dramatic skill and physical strength to be a dominatrix.

Now the really troubling part:

The book also explores Japan’s teenage prostitution problem asserting that 1 in 10 Japanese men has a “lolita complex” (pedophiliac tendencies) and that 15% of the male population has viewed child pornography, while over 10% of the male population owns child pornography. The statistics were not pulled out of thin air but come from a Japanese government survey. In addition, the book notes that there are an estimated 170,000 junior high and high school girls engaged in prostitution each year in Japan, charging higher than the standard market rate (￥30,000) or roughly ￥50,000 ($600) per customer. The teenage prostitution market is estimated to be as high as ￥54,700,000,000 per year (approx. $700 million).

Source: http://www.japansubculture.com/sexnomics-japans-billion-dollar-sex-industry-and-the-pink-zone/

 

[Jackster]

Japan has always been a little odd when it comes to their sexual appetites, although in some aspect, (making a safe place for sexual activity); ahead of us. The whole pedophilia thing is just phucked up and crosses a line though. Interesting article VJ, thanks for sharing.

 

[Tugela]

Well, the thing about Japan is that they are not Europe and don't see sex the same way as a European does, in particular the way a puritanical European culture does. Things which are totally taboo in Western culture are not so totally taboo there, and vica versa. I don't think you can pass accurate judgement on a foreign culture through the lens of your own.

 

[violetblake]

Well, the thing about Japan is that they are not Europe and don't see sex the same way as a European does, in particular the way a puritanical European culture does. Things which are totally taboo in Western culture are not so totally taboo there, and vica versa. I don't think you can pass accurate judgement on a foreign culture through the lens of your own.

European culture puritanical? Since when? lol. Certain countries in Europe would be among the most sexually open-minded cultures in the world lol.

In regards to the "lolita complex", I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with being with a younger woman, but there is a limit, then it gets into pedophile territory. However it's important to note that I wouldn't trust a statistic that comes from the government. Our government loves to quote the "rescue industry" and their ridiculously inflated numbers of trafficking victims in the sex trade. I'm not saying let's just pretend that doesn't exist, but let's be analytical towards any information on the topic.

 

[booblover]

"I don't think you can pass accurate judgement on a foreign culture through the lens of your own." so are you saying we shouldn't say that their pedophilia tendancies are bad?

 

[Tugela]

European culture puritanical? Since when? lol. Certain countries in Europe would be among the most sexually open-minded cultures in the world lol.

In regards to the "lolita complex", I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with being with a younger woman, but there is a limit, then it gets into pedophile territory. However it's important to note that I wouldn't trust a statistic that comes from the government. Our government loves to quote the "rescue industry" and their ridiculously inflated numbers of trafficking victims in the sex trade. I'm not saying let's just pretend that doesn't exist, but let's be analytical towards any information on the topic.

I'm talking about 19th century values, which are often prevalent in North America. I realize that most of the mother countries have moved on.

The point I was making that the social values in Japan are quite different from here, they don't see things the same way. What might be regarded as monstrous here might not be seen the same way there. i'm sure there are things about our society that we are comfortable with but which appall them.

 

[Tugela]

"I don't think you can pass accurate judgement on a foreign culture through the lens of your own." so are you saying we shouldn't say that their pedophilia tendancies are bad?

What I'm saying that it isn't our place to judge. If their culture is more tolerant of that, it does not mean they are bad, it just means they are different and their boundaries are different. The social impact of a specific behaviour in their culture is not going to be the same as that behaviour might have here, because that impact will be determined by the boundaries that each society imposes on it's citizens.

This is the basis of xenophobia, judging other cultures by the standards of your own, assuming that whatever they do that is different must somehow be perverted, immoral or evil, and evidence of their decadence because your culture is the definition of morality. But the thing is, they are probably looking at you the same way, just you don't know it.

 

[violetblake]

Umm, exploiting and traumatizing children is okay in Japan?? I don't think so.

You may think your statement is for tolerance, but you're actually expecting less of another culture, expecting them to be savages, to not hold them to the same standard you would the rest of humanity. That's pretty messed up. Abuse is not "taboo", it's downright wrong, there's no two ways about it. As I said, nothing wrong with fantasies of a younger woman (emphasis on the 'woman'), there is something wrong with fantasies of children. (How am I even having this conversation??)

I'm very tolerant of other cultures, but I have a little thing called common sense, which means that tolerance has a sensible limit, and that limit is abuse and exploitation.

 

[Tugela]

You know that the age of consent in Japan is 13 right? Their sensibilities are not the same as in North America. They are not being traumatized. No doubt Canadian girls find sex to be very traumatic, which requires a lifetime of therapy. Japanese girls, not so much, apparently.

 

[Tugela]

In regards to the "lolita complex", I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with being with a younger woman, but there is a limit, then it gets into pedophile territory. However it's important to note that I wouldn't trust a statistic that comes from the government. Our government loves to quote the "rescue industry" and their ridiculously inflated numbers of trafficking victims in the sex trade. I'm not saying let's just pretend that doesn't exist, but let's be analytical towards any information on the topic.

If you do the calculations, there are 127 million people in Japan. assume about half are women, so about 64 million females. The life expectancy is 83.5 years and it is a rapidly aging population (total population is expected to drop by 25% in the next 30 years). Assume 3 years in high school, so about 3% of the females are high school students, or about 2 million girls. Over 3 years that would be 4 million. Of those they claim about 170000 are prostitutes per year. Over three years that would be 510000, but taking some overlap into account (they would be active a small portion of their school careers, not all), lets say around 400000. In other words they are saying that about 1 in 10 high school girls have engaged in prostitution. It would have to be a very common thing.

If you believe that then I have a few bridges you might be interested in buying.

Either that or their attitudes towards sex is VERY different from here.

 

[lenny]

You know that the age of consent in Japan is 13 right? Their sensibilities are not the same as in North America. They are not being traumatized. No doubt Canadian girls find sex to be very traumatic, which requires a lifetime of therapy. Japanese girls, not so much, apparently.

Spain has an AOC at 13 also. Even just a few short years ago it was only 14 in Canada.

It seems the "sensibilities" of the Japanese differing from NA may be an Asian thing or at least shared by a number of other Asian countries.

For example:

"In Cambodia, high-level business deals are sealed by having sex with virgins...Chinese businessmen
measure their success by their company's balance sheets and also by their tally of deflowered virgins".

(Sex Slaves: the trafficking of women in Asia, c. 2000, p.139-140)

 

[booblover]

I would believe that the children of Japan would be just as traumatized by a male 40 years old trying to stick their penis into the child's prepubescent ass. Your expansion of an idea used to describe "normal" differences between cultures is sickening.

 

[Holly Taylor]

As I said, nothing wrong with fantasies of a younger woman (emphasis on the 'woman'), there is something wrong with fantasies of children. (How am I even having this conversation??)

I'm very tolerant of other cultures, but I have a little thing called common sense, which means that tolerance has a sensible limit, and that limit is abuse and exploitation.

I would argue that the mind should be a totally safe haven. People should be able to fantasize about whatever they want, guilt-free. I have seen and heard about all kinds of fetishes that I find strange, even disturbing. However, if it's happening in the mind, I think it's ok.

What we should be concerned about are actions. Is somebody hurting or abusing somebody else? That's a problem.

Is somebody having a fantasy? Is it a problem? The answer might not be so clear cut. For example, many people have rape fantasies. I would argue that rape is bad, but rape fantasies are not bad.

Definitely an interesting topic and a lot to think about!

 

[bcneil]

I think its important to know how stats work. With population statistics of any large group of people you will always get weird crap below the 10% line. The only thing you can really learn from it, is people are strange.

For instance, in America a small majority support the pro-choice side........however over 10% of Americans also believe women who get an abortion, should be treated as a 1st degree murderer and either get life in jail or executed (depending on their state).

A small majority now support gay marriage....however over 10% still believe mixed race marriages should be illegal.

Regarding childhood sexual abuse. Studies in Europe find 5% of boys and 18% of girls are sexually assaulted as children.
American studies estimate 17% for boys and 28% for girls for sexual assault. With the majority being family members or adults in a position of authority or trust, so there are a lot of adults doing this to kids.

But 10% of Japanese men having some form of child porn on their computer is shocking???
Can you really say our culture regarding child sexual abuse is so great?

 

[Holly Taylor]

The problem is that it usually doesn't stop by fantasizing. Actual child pornography is not a victimless crime. We are not talking about nude pictures of children, but pictures and videos of actual rape of little children, sometimes as young as 6 months old.

As an example there was a guy in Belgium who abducted children for this purpose, kept them in his basement, raped them, took pictures and videos of them and and killed two by drugging them and burying them alive. When he was discovered and taken to the police, he "forgot" to tell the cops that he had two more small children hidden underground, who then died of hunger.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Dutroux

I am saying, the people who bought his videos are just as guilty as he is.

AGAIN: buying and watching child porn is not an innocent passtime. And shame on the Japanese government for not taking the possession of child porn seriously.

Not sure why you quoted my post? I was writing about sexual thoughts and fantasies, not child pornography.

 

[Flanders]

Yes, you said rape and that is not the same. True that many people have rape fantasies without ever acting on them, but owning child porn is a different category. People must understand that this is not just an innocent habit like watching porn made by consenting adults.

Right on Anita! For child porn to exist, it mean a CHILD was exploited and sexually abused. That is fucked up, no matter what cultural "norms" are.

 

[Tugela]

Yes, you said rape and that is not the same. True that many people have rape fantasies without ever acting on them, but owning child porn is a different category. People must understand that this is not just an innocent habit like watching porn made by consenting adults.

From what I understand, possessing child porn isn't illegal in Japan, it is only illegal to produce or distribute it. Actually, that applies to all porn, not just child porn. Most porn produced and distributed in the US and Canada would be illegal in Japan. They have their own rules which are different from here. They are more tolerant of some things, less tolerant of others. Hence, culture.

There have been attempts to make possesion illegal but there doesn't seem to be the sort of momentum you would see to do that here.

The lolita complex thing there seems to be more about role playing than actually having sex with children (which in any case is just as illegal in Japan as it is here).

The child porn they are talking about is probably mostly the cartoon stuff that seems so popular there, not real porn. While it is legally considered child porn in Canada, in Japan that does not appear to be the case, probably because it doesn't involve real people. If someone produces or distributes real child porn in Japan they will land in prison just as fast as they would in Canada, if they are caught.

Like I explained before, these are cultural nuances. The behaviours you are talking about fall mostly into the category of "thought" crimes, and there is no real victim. In Canada it is criminal but in Japan it is not.

 

[virginjohn]

I would argue that the mind should be a totally safe haven. People should be able to fantasize about whatever they want, guilt-free. I have seen and heard about all kinds of fetishes that I find strange, even disturbing. However, if it's happening in the mind, I think it's ok.

What we should be concerned about are actions. Is somebody hurting or abusing somebody else? That's a problem.

Is somebody having a fantasy? Is it a problem? The answer might not be so clear cut. For example, many people have rape fantasies. I would argue that rape is bad, but rape fantasies are not bad.

Definitely an interesting topic and a lot to think about!

I completely agree with you about the dangers of introducing thought crime. but I don't think that is the issue here: if you only fantasize there would be no legal issues, for one thing we don't have the technology of looking into people's mind, yet. So usually people go beyond fantasizing and there your example of rape fantasies does not really hold up. People who fantasize about rape can either role play it with someone or watch other people simulate it but making child pornography involves hurting children.

So then one might ask whether animated child pornography should be legal? The only argument against it that I think of is that it might encourage them to pursue the real thing (we need data and studies for this, it could have the opposite effect as well) but beside that it seems that nobody is harmed during the production process.

 

[virginjohn]

You know that the age of consent in Japan is 13 right? Their sensibilities are not the same as in North America. They are not being traumatized. No doubt Canadian girls find sex to be very traumatic, which requires a lifetime of therapy. Japanese girls, not so much, apparently.

You probably did not read what I posted carefully, so here is the relevant part again:

The book also explores Japan’s teenage prostitution problem asserting that 1 in 10 Japanese men has a “lolita complex” (pedophiliac tendencies) and that 15% of the male population has viewed child pornography, while over 10% of the male population owns child pornography. The statistics were not pulled out of thin air but come from a Japanese government survey.

Those number come from Japan's government, which means all the child pornography involves children under 13 years of age.

 

[Tugela]

Not correct. The minimum age to legally perform in pornography in Japan is 18 (thereabouts), so anything under that is child pornography. It is also not clear if they are including the cartoon porn in that number, which they probably are.

Your quote also directly refers to teenage prostitution, which is the primary concern of that report, not porn. Pedophilia is a fixation on prepubescent sex. Men who have sex with teenagers are not pedophiles, since the girls are post-pubescent. You are getting the two things mixed up.

The fantasy that the 10% have is primarily directed at having sex with high school girls, which in itself is legal in Japan (13 year old age of consent), but the fantasy is expressed mostly through porn (which is illegal to produce, and in which the models have to be over 18). The men can legally possess the porn however. Some of those men then go on to hire teenage prostitutes (which is illegal, since the required age for sex work is 18). This is the problem that the Japanese goverment is concerned about, not porn.

So, it is a mix of what is legal and what is not legal, that is the governments dilemma. It has nothing to do with pedophilia, it is an issue with teenage prostitution and how they can address that problem.