Tokyo’s private workspace booths at train stations used to film adult content
Like us, you have probably seen those private workspace booths at central stations in central Tokyo and wondered if people actually use them to do some tasks or hold a quick meeting in between train rides.
But who knows what goes on behind those closed doors, (partially) hidden from view.
News Post Seven reports on some unusual activities at these booths, particularly the ones called (unimaginatively) Station Booth and present at JR East stations in the Tokyo area.
It sets the scene: a young woman with long black hair and wearing a face mask entered the private workspace booth located inside a train station. Instead of working, she stripped off her clothes and began fondling her own body. Even through the frosted glass, her state of undress was clearly visible from the outside.
She was filming herself for content, with the video footage sold online for a fee.
The Station Booth offers a private space equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets, and monitors, available for use in 15-minute increments. Primarily placed within JR stations, they are popular among business professionals for handling sudden meetings or work tasks while on the go.
This controversial footage of the women appears to have been filmed in a single-person Station Booth unit. The base rate for such an “office on the go” is just ¥330 for 15 minutes.
The video became available in April last year on a major adult content platform, FC2, sold for around ¥800. It was posted by a self-described female college student who produces explicit paid content featuring herself.
This kind of exhibitionist fetish (roshutsu) content is a mainstay of Japanese porn, both regular professional productions and content produced by individual creators, perhaps especially the latter because it is cheap and easy to produce, and enables provocative scenarios and great keywords on crowded porn streaming platforms.
“I love exposing myself while feeling a genuine sense of shame and bashfulness,” claims the woman. She offers nearly 400 videos filmed in outdoor locations and on public transport. The caption for this particular video notes, “A really short girl walked over and stared hard at me!!,” hinting that passersby may have sensed something amiss. From the footage we’ve seen, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what was happening behind the glass.
What are the legal implications of all this? News Post Seven spoke to an attorney in Osaka. “I believe there is a possibility that this constitutes grounds for prosecution as public indecency,” she warned.
The terms of use for JR East’s workspaces like the Station Booth ones explicitly prohibit “acts that violate, or risk violating, laws and regulations” as well as “acts that contravene public order and morals, or any other conduct deemed inappropriate by the service provider.”
JR East Building, which handles JR East station facilities, gave this response to News Post Seven: “We only became aware of the matter you pointed out after receiving your inquiry. We are currently gathering the necessary information and will take appropriate action in accordance with our terms of use.”
