Japanese TV show debates prostitution and punishment for customers

Following recent report that nearly half of men and 4% of women have used sex workers, and that the sex industry is shifting toward a model centered on in-call services instead of brothels, there is much public debate right now in Japan about prostitution.

The TV show Abema Prime recently hosted a discussion about the merits of punishing customers, something that may become possible in the future with proposed changes to current legislation under review.

The author, former Nikkei reporter, graduate if Keio University, and ex-porn star Suzumi Suzuki (pictured) was one of the guests. She said: “People ask me if I regret becoming a porn actress, but it depends on the day. Girls in Kabukicho, when they feel fulfilled by visits to host clubs, probably think, ‘I don’t want a daytime job.’ But if you catch a cold, you can’t work. On tough days, you might think, ‘Society is to blame,’ so it’s difficult.”

She continued: “While almost no one enjoys organ trafficking, prostitution is different. I recently attended an AV-related event in Taiwan, and it’s difficult to determine how many of the attendees originally aimed to become AV actresses or were forced into it due to economic circumstances. Even within a broad spectrum, the colors change.”

Her personal take on the issue was that “decriminalizing prostitution would make it easier for people to keep an eye on it. Labor unions and STD testing could also be thoroughly implemented. Personally, I think decriminalization is better.” However, she added, “if punishment is to be imposed, both parties should be punished. Currently, there are no penalties for the buyers. There are many books on why girls sell their bodies, but none asking why men pay for sex. It may be self-evident to men, but sociologists haven’t considered this point.”

Natsumi Sakai, a former House of Representatives and member of the Centrist Reform Alliance, supports imposing penalties on buyers. “The analogy of a gradient is easy to understand. Sometimes it can be viewed positively, but some women suffer trauma and become depressed. Politics must consider what can be done to eliminate such situations.”

Regarding the treatment of sex workers, Sakai argued, “Their rights must be protected so that they don’t suffer secondary victimization when they speak out. The human rights of those currently working should be protected.”

What should be done about the sex industry? “There have been cases,” Suzuki said, “where regulations were eliminated all at once through a top-down approach. Policing in Kabukicho has also become stricter, but what level of scrutiny is envisioned beyond that? Distinguishing between forced prostitution and freely done prostitution is no easy matter. There’s prostitution freely entered into but where an invisible pressure is at work, and prostitution that started off as forced but later came to develop a self-pride. I believe I was exploited by my newspaper employer just as much as I was as an AV performer.”

Maki Geimaki, the head of of SWASH, an organization that opposes punishment for buyers from the perspective of sex workers, also appeared on the show. “Creating a system is crucial. Having connections makes a huge difference. The prostitution law was adapted to create the Law for Supporting Women in Difficulty, but it’s not in a state where sex workers can easily use it.” She added, “Our approach is not that sex work is a good thing, but rather, we ask how we can support individuals with their specific problems? There are many things that cannot be done alone.”