Category Archives: Sex Industry

Fuzoku Friday

By Sarah Noorbakhsh | Published: 13 November 2009
The fuzoku (風俗) industry, or sex industry, is an integral part of Japan’s underground economy and a multi-billion-dollar operation that is difficult to keep track of actual numbers because of(...)
Also posted in Pop Culture | Leave a comment

Is Shibuya Tokyo’s new sin city?

By Sarah Noorbakhsh | Published: 27 October 2009
Since the tightening of regulations against fuuzoku sex industry businesses in Shinjuku’s Kabuki-cho last year, there have been voices of concern about whether or not the neighborhood will lose its(...)
Also posted in Photo Essays | 6 Comments

Cabaret Club Girls in Japan: All You Ever Wanted To Know

By Jake Adelstein | Published: 3 October 2009
The publication of the magazine Koakuma Ageha in 2005 sent a shock-wave through Japanese society: when did cabaret-club hostesses become socially accepted to the degree that they have their own widely-available fashion magazine? And when did “kyabakura girl” become a glamorous and enviable occupation for young women? The answers to these questions were not apparent. And since the Japanese media is not allowed to talk about trends in terms of socioeconomic class or subculture, Koakuma Ageha’s popularity gave the impression that all young women, no matter the family background, have suddenly clamored to work nights in Kabukicho. (---JRSC note--but it's not that simple for more read the rest of the article by clicking the link above)
Also posted in Underground Economy | 3 Comments

Hosts and Hostesses: Some thoughts on Hiroko Tabuchi’s great article

By Jake Adelstein | Published: 15 August 2009
Tabuchi-san wrote an interesting piece about the resurgent popularity of hostess jobs in Japan in the New York Times last week. I contributed a commentary to the debate blog about(...)
Also posted in On the Record | Leave a comment

Amazon Japan Says Goodbye to Covert Child Porn

By Jake Adelstein | Published: 1 June 2009
In the Empire of Child Pornography: AMAZON JAPAN REMOVES CHILD PORN FROM THEIR WEBSITE  May 2009 by Jake Adelstein and Polaris Project Japan “Idols” in Japan refer to pin-up girls,(...)
Also posted in Dark Side of the Sun | 3 Comments

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