Sex trafficking in Japan

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Sex trafficking in Japan is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the country. Japan is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

Contents

Japanese citizens, primarily women and girls, have been sex trafficked within Japan and to a lesser degree abroad. Foreign victims are sex trafficked into the country. [1] [2] Minors [3] and persons from families in poverty [4] are particularly vulnerable to sex trafficking. Sex trafficked victims are deceived, [1] [2] [5] [6] threatened, [2] [5] [6] and forced into prostitution. Their passports and bank documents are often confiscated. [2] Debt bondage is often employed. [2] [5] They suffer from physical and psychological trauma. [6] [3] A number contract sexually transmitted diseases from rape and live in generally poor conditions. Some rescued victims face ostracization, depression, [3] and or commit suicide.[ dubious – discuss ] [6] Online sextortion and the creation of coerced rape pornography are issues. [6]

Male and female traffickers in Japan come from a wide range of backgrounds and every social class. Traffickers are often members of or facilitated by crime syndicates, [2] including the yakuza or bōryokudan . Sex trafficking is linked to Japan's entertainment and tourism industries, and women and girls are also trafficked to businesses catering to military servicemen and contractors in United States Forces Japan. Traffickers have used internet websites, email, and apps to lure victims. [6] Japanese nationals have engaged in cybersex trafficking. [7] [8]

The scale of sex trafficking in Japan is difficult to know because of the underground nature of sex trafficking crimes, the fact that only a small minority of cases are reported to the authorities, and other factors. The Japanese government has been criticized for its lack of anti-sex trafficking efforts and laws. [3] [5] [6] Some Japanese officials have been accused of being apathetic about the issue. [5] [9] [10] Many sex traffickers of children reportedly operate with impunity in Japan. [11] There is inadequate screening for trafficking indicators following the identification of children in the Japanese commercial sex industry by law enforcement. [12] In 2014, the US Department of State reported that "Japan is the international hub for the production and trafficking of child pornography". [13]

History

Sex trafficking in Japan has occurred from ancient times to the present and has been linked to slavery in Japan. Following the Portuguese contact, Japanese slave girls were transferred to Europe for sexual exploitation. [14] [15] During the Asia–Pacific War, comfort women from Japan and other nations were sex trafficked throughout the Japanese mainland and Japanese-occupied territories. [16]

Types

Debts

Victims have been sex trafficked or coerced into prostitution because of debts and unlawful loans. [17] People unable to pay bills at host and hostess clubs have been forced to repay debts by offering sex services in Japan or are sent overseas. [18] [19]

Exploitation of children

Girls, including runaways, are lured, coerced, or forced into prostitution in Japan. [6] The creation and sale of child pornography in Japan is a pervasive problem. [6] [3] [20]

Some Japanese students engage in or get drawn into enjo kōsai ("compensated dating") in Tokyo and other cities. [4] [3] Some JK businesses are thought to serve as a gateway to sexual exploitation in Japan. Some JK businesses offers "hidden options," and attract high school girls looking to earn extra money. [21] [20] Evidence suggests these dating activities are preparatory stages for potential forms of child prostitution and child abuse. Critics have charged that police do not do enough to protect the women who get drawn into this. [22] According to the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, there were 137 JK business operations identified and not closed; 69 individuals arrested for being engaged in criminal activities surrounding the JK business. [23]

False promises of work opportunities

Besides young Japanese women and girls, foreign women who work in or migrate to Japan are also vulnerable to sexual exploitation, especially those from Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines. [2] These victims are often lured by false promises of work opportunities in Japan arrive on short-stay visas. Once they arrive in Japan, they are subsequently forced into sex work, however, their involvement in the adult entertainment industry is generally regarded as voluntary participants, whatever their circumstances. [24] Because of the visa status, these foreign workers are reluctant to seek help from local authorities since they acknowledge the visa was not able to grant them legal working rights in Japan. Combined with factors such as psychological intimidation, language barriers, and cultural differences, foreign women are in a highly vulnerable position. [2]

Modeling scams

Japanese citizens, in addition to foreign women, are deceived by malicious individuals who claim to be fashion model agents. The victims are then convinced to sign phony contracts, legally binding them to participate in prostitution and the production of pornography. [6] [5] If victims try to refuse, agents allegedly threaten that they will have to pay penalties, or they will reveal the videos to the victim's family. Victims are also forced to sign contracts through which they abandon certain legal rights, such as copyrights of the films in which they are portrayed. [25]

Anti-sex trafficking efforts

Corporations

All Nippon Airways (ANA) provides flight attendants with trafficking recognition and reporting training. [26]

Non-governmental organizations

Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims, was one of the first non-profit organizations that worked to rescue and aid sex trafficking victims in Japan, helping them to arrange legal counsel, shelter, and medical care. [2] [5] [4] [6] The organization has since closed their operation. The organization had created and distributed materials to raise awareness about human trafficking, including a manga titled Blue Heart. [5]

Colabo (Tokyo) conducts anti-sex trafficking efforts in the country. [6] [3]

ZOE Japan combats child trafficking and offers free educational resources in English and Japanese, as well as a hotline for children that are victims of exploitation.

The Japan Network Against Trafficking In Persons (JNATIP) is a network of NGOs, lawyers and activists that work together to address policy issues related to human trafficking (including sex trafficking and labor trafficking) and other human rights violations of national and foreign victims. Once a year they have a 2-day meeting with different government representatives to discuss policy concerns and make recommendations as input for the government's human trafficking action plan.

PAPS provides support to victims of digital sexual violence, especially in the adult video industry.

The Solidarity Network with Migrants in Japan provides support to victims of labor trafficking, especially foreign migrant workers.

Government response

Japanese authorities have taken law enforcement actions against adult and child sex trafficking. The Employment Security Act (ESA) and the Labor Standards Act (LSA) both criminalized forced labor, which protects mental and physical freedom of the workers and serves as a measure against sex trafficking. [27] The "Act on Regulation and Punishment of Activities Relating to Child Prostitution and Pornography and the Protection of Children" criminalized engaging in commercial sexual exploitation of a child, including purchase or sale of children for the purpose of production of child pornography or prostitution. [23] On March 29, 2016, a cabinet decision was made on "Regarding basic policies on activities relating to measures against sexual exploitation etc. of children". [28] This decision was meant to eradicate the sexual victimization of children resulting from child prostitution and the production of child pornography. The National Public Safety Commission has been designated to govern the overall measures against the sexual exploitation of children. The police also work closely together with the relevant ministries and authorities to crack down on child prostitution-related crimes. Seven major prefectures maintained ordinances banning JK businesses, prohibiting girls younger than 18 from working in compensated dating services, or requiring JK business owners to register their employee rosters with local public safety commissions. [23]

The Ministry of Justice's Human Rights Division provides temporary protections to victims and monitors industries and job brokers that recruit foreign nationals. [29]

How to report potential human trafficking

The government provides a One Stop Support Center for victims of sexual crimes and sexual violence. When in trouble, a victim can simply call #8891 from their phone and their call will be redirected to the nearest center. The full list of centers is available here.

The Internet Hotline Center (IHC) receives reports on behalf of the National Police Agency of all online illegal content, including human trafficking, child sexual abuse images or ads that meet the definition of illegal prostitution. URLs can be reported anonymously through their website.

PAPS receives reports and offers consultations via phone or through their website in multiple languages.

ZOE Japan offers consultation for children under 18 through their website, phone or via the LINE messaging app.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial sexual exploitation of children</span> Commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) defines the "umbrella" of crimes and activities that involve inflicting sexual abuse on to a child as a financial or personal opportunity. Commercial Sexual Exploitation consists of forcing a child into prostitution, sex trafficking, early marriage, child sex tourism and any other venture of exploiting children into sexual activities. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the lack of reporting the crime and "the difficulties associated with identifying and measuring victims and perpetrators" has made it almost impossible to create a national estimate of the prevalence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the United States. There is an estimated one million children that are exploited for commercial sex globally; of the one million children that are exploited, the majority are girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appear in international and humanitarian conventions, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but have been inconsistently applied. "Forced prostitution" refers to conditions of control over a person who is coerced by another to engage in sexual activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in the Philippines</span>

Human trafficking and the prostitution of children has been a significant issue in the Philippines, often controlled by organized crime syndicates. Human trafficking is a crime against humanity.

In 2008 Vietnam was primarily a source country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Women and children were trafficked to the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C), Cambodia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Macau for sexual exploitation. Vietnamese women were trafficked to the P.R.C., Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea via fraudulent or misrepresented marriages for commercial exploitation or forced labor. Vietnam was also a source country for men and women who migrate willingly and legally for work in the construction, fishing, or manufacturing sectors in Malaysia, Taiwan, P.R.C., Thailand, and the Middle East but subsequently face conditions of forced labor or debt bondage. Vietnam was a destination country for Cambodian children trafficked to urban centers for forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. The country had an internal trafficking problem with women and children from rural areas trafficked to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. Vietnam was increasingly a destination for child sex tourism, with perpetrators from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the P.R.C., Taiwan, the UK, Australia, Europe, and the U.S. In 2007, an Australian non-governmental organization (NGO) uncovered 80 cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children by foreign tourists in the Sa Pa tourist area of Vietnam alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking</span> Trade of humans for exploitation

Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or other forms of commercial sexual exploitation. It is considered a serious violation of human rights and a form of modern slavery. Efforts to combat human trafficking involve international laws, national policies, and non-governmental organizations.

name="Unodcvhhhorg">"UNODC on human trafficking and migrant smuggling". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.</ref>

In 2010, Human trafficking in India, although illegal under Indian law, remained a significant problem. People were frequently illegally trafficked through India for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced/bonded labour. Although no reliable study of forced and bonded labour was completed, NGOs estimated this problem affected 20 to 65 million Indians. Men, women and children were trafficked in India for diverse reasons. Women and girls were trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage, especially in those areas where the sex ratio is highly skewed in favour of men. Men and boys were trafficked for the purposes of labour, and may be sexually exploited by traffickers to serve as gigolos, massage experts, escorts, etc. A significant portion of children are subjected to forced labour as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups.

Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The greatest threat of trafficking facing Indonesian men and women is that posed by conditions of forced labor and debt bondage in more developed Asian countries and the Middle East.

Sex trafficking in Thailand is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sex trafficking. The sexual exploitation of children in Thailand is a problem. In Thailand, close to 40,000 children under the age of 16 are believed to be in the sex trade, working in clubs, bars, and brothels.

Human trafficking in Nepal is a growing criminal industry affecting multiple other countries beyond Nepal, primarily across Asia and the Middle East. Nepal is mainly a source country for men, women and children subjected to the forced labor and sex trafficking. U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2" in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Texas</span>

Human trafficking in Texas is the illegal trade of human beings as it occurs in the state of Texas. It is a modern-day form of slavery and usually involves commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, both domestic and agricultural.

Sex trafficking in China is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the People's Republic of China. It is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual slavery in China</span>

Sexual slavery in China is sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the People's Republic of China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Vietnam</span>

Sex trafficking in Vietnam is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam is a source and, to a lesser extent, destination country for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Cambodia</span>

Sex trafficking in Cambodia is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Cambodia is a country of origin, destination and transit for sex trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Indonesia</span> Indonesian sex trafficking

Sex trafficking in Indonesia is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking in the Philippines is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of the Philippines. The Philippines is a country of origin and, to a lesser extent, a destination and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in South Korea</span> Overview of sex trafficking in South Korea

Sex trafficking in South Korea is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of Korea. South Korea is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons. Sex trafficking victims in the country are from South Korea and foreigners.

Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in El Salvador</span>

Sex trafficking in El Salvador is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of El Salvador. It is a country of origin, transit, and destination for sexually trafficked persons.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Why are foreign women continuing to be forced into prostitution in Japan?". The Mainichi . June 10, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fifield, Anna (May 16, 2017). "For vulnerable high school girls in Japan, a culture of 'dates' with older men". The Washington Post . Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Reith-Banks, Tash (June 15, 2019). "Schoolgirls for sale: why Tokyo struggles to stop the 'JK business'". The Guardian .
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Lighthouse NGO Serves as Beacon of Hope for Victims of Sex Trafficking". UW–Madison News. University of Wisconsin–Madison. May 15, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Campbell, Charlie (October 29, 2019). "The Sexual Exploitation of Young Girls in Japan Is 'On the Increase,' an Expert Says". Time . Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Japanese, Filipino couple sued over child cybersex". Inquirer. September 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Online child sexual exploitation and abuse". UNODC. 2019.
  9. ↑ McCurry, Justin (17 December 2023). "Host clubs' in Tokyo force women into sex work to pay off huge debts". The Guardian.
  10. ↑ "'Host crazy' women fall into debt hell through pay-later system". Asahi Shimbun.
  11. ↑ Kiyomiya, Ryo (25 June 2024). "U.S. report keeps Japan at Tier 2 over labor, child sex trafficking". The Asahi Shimbun.
  12. ↑ "U.S. says Japan still has work to do in combating human trafficking". Kyodo News. 25 June 2024.
  13. ↑ "Japan". State.gov. United States Department of State. 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ Nelson, Thomas (Winter 2004). "Monumenta Nipponica (Slavery in Medieval Japan)". Monumenta Nipponica. 59 (4). Sophia University.: 463–492. JSTOR   25066328.
  15. ↑ Monumenta Nipponica: Studies on Japanese Culture, Past and Present, Volume 59, Issues 3-4. Sophia University (Jōchi Daigaku). 2004. p. 463.
  16. ↑ The Asian Women's Fund. "Who were the Comfort Women?-The Establishment of Comfort Stations". Digital Museum The Comfort Women Issue and the Asian Women's Fund. The Asian Women's Fund. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  17. ↑ Siripala, Thisanka (8 June 2019). "Is Human Trafficking in Japan Coming to an End?". The Diplomat.
  18. ↑ "She thought she found love in a Japanese host club. Then the bills ballooned – and she was coerced into sex work". CNN. 8 June 2024.
  19. ↑ McCurry, Justin (17 December 2023). "'Host clubs' in Tokyo force women into sex work to pay off huge debts". The Guardian.
  20. 1 2 "HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN JAPAN | THE DARK REALITY". ZOE Japan English. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  21. ↑ "Japan | Global Slavery Index". www.globalslaveryindex.org. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  22. ↑ "OHCHR | End of mission statement of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, on her visit to Japan". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  23. 1 2 3 "Japan". State.gov. United States Department of State. 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  24. ↑ Cameron, S & Newman, E n.d., Trafficking of Filipino Women to Japan: Examining the Experiences and Perspectives of Victims and Government Experts, United Nations University, United Nations Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings. p.3.
  25. ↑ Japan NGO Network for CEDAW (JNNC) 2016, NGO Joint Report (Japan) with regard to the consideration of the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of Japan for the sixty-third session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, p. 18-20.
  26. ↑ Siripala, Thisanka (8 June 2019). "Is Human Trafficking in Japan Coming to an End?". The Diplomat.
  27. ↑ "Japan". State.gov. United States Department of State . Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  28. ↑ Council for the Promotion of Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons 2017, Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons (Annual Report), Government of Japan, 30 May.
  29. ↑ Siripala, Thisanka (8 June 2019). "Is Human Trafficking in Japan Coming to an End?". The Diplomat.
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