Until recently, the prevailing narrative was that women – often young and heavily indebted – turned to street prostitution out of financial desperation. But that explanation no longer holds. What Japan is witnessing now is something far more widespread: a genuine social epidemic, triggered by the breakdown of a long-standing taboo. Shame is no longer a deterrent. The sheer number of girls involved has normalized the practice, making it appear, to some, like just another job.
torsdag 19. juni 2025
nside Japan’s Hidden Sex Market
At the heart of Japan’s entertainment districts lie a marketplace, both above ground and deep underground, where young women are displayed like livestock: measured, prodded, appraised, then bought and consumed behind closed curtains, all as part of cities’ nightly routine.
Until recently, the prevailing narrative was that women – often young and heavily indebted – turned to street prostitution out of financial desperation. But that explanation no longer holds. What Japan is witnessing now is something far more widespread: a genuine social epidemic, triggered by the breakdown of a long-standing taboo. Shame is no longer a deterrent. The sheer number of girls involved has normalized the practice, making it appear, to some, like just another job.
Until recently, the prevailing narrative was that women – often young and heavily indebted – turned to street prostitution out of financial desperation. But that explanation no longer holds. What Japan is witnessing now is something far more widespread: a genuine social epidemic, triggered by the breakdown of a long-standing taboo. Shame is no longer a deterrent. The sheer number of girls involved has normalized the practice, making it appear, to some, like just another job.
