The JK business is a commercial activity in Japan that allows customers to engage in pseudo-dating with high school girls. It significantly increased in scale around 2006, after the maid café boom in Akihabara, Tokyo, had died down.[1] The abbreviation JK stands for 女子高生 (joshi kōsei, ja:女子高生), a female high school student. Typical scenario of a JK encounter: a girl gives out leaflets inviting for a JKお散歩 (jēkē o-sanpo, “a JK walk” or “a walking date”).[2][3] Earlier the offered service was known as a "refresh business". When police began investigations into the practice of "JK"; the "sanpo business" arose. This is when a girl is paid for social activities such as walking and talking, and is also sometimes referred to as "fortune telling".[4][5] Another activity is reflexology (Japanese: リフレ, rifure, ja:リフレ).[6] Many of the girls work in Akihabara in Tokyo.[7][8]
The U.S. State Department reported in 2017 that the Government of Japan "does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking", and "continues to facilitate the prostitution of Japanese children".[9] Japan was briefly upgraded to 'Tier 1' status in the 2018[10] and 2019[11] reports, but was downgraded again to 'Tier 2' status in the 2020[12] and 2021[13] reports.
Yumeno Nito, a strong critic of government inaction on the problem, has formed a charity to assist girls in Tokyo.[14][15][16] Cultural anthropologists have described Japan as having a shame culture, creating a barrier for teenage runaways to be reunited with their families, making them vulnerable to recruiting into the underage sex industry.[3][17][18]
Various prefectures and police departments in Japan have implemented policies and regulations to crack down on JK business. The police are cracking down on JK business because they can lead to underage prostitution. Several prefectures have amended their Prefectural Ordinance of Juvenile Protection to prohibit JK business. Kanagawa Prefecture was the first prefecture to take action, amending its ordinance to regulate JK business in 2011.[19]
In 2014, police stepped up their crackdown on girls under the age of 18, leading to a decline in the number of establishments where girls serve customers in confined spaces.[1]
In 2017, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly enacted a landmark ordinance specifically targeting JK business, the first in the country to do so. Previously, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, which covers Tokyo, had cracked down on JK business and arrested underage girls using national Labor Standards Act, Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act, and Child Welfare Act. The new ordinance expands the scope of regulated industries beyond the amendments made to the previous Prefectural Ordinance of Juvenile Protection. The ordinance prohibits minors from engaging in activities that arouse the sexual curiosity of opposite-sex customers, such as providing massages, allowing customers to take or view photographs of themselves, engaging in conversations with customers, serving food and beverages to customers, and going for walks with customers. However, if these acts do not arouse the customer's sexual curiosity, they are not illegal. It also prohibits advertisements that give customers the impression that underage girls work in the establishments, even if there are no actual underage employees. Violators of this ordinance face a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison or a fine of up to one million yen.[19][20]
In 2018, Osaka Prefecture amended its Prefectural Ordinance of Juvenile Protection to establish regulations similar to Tokyo's regarding the protection of minors. Offenders face a maximum penalty of up to six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen. Even if the business no longer employs underage workers after the conviction, the authorities may issue a six-month suspension order on the operation of the business. Violation of this order may result in imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 500,000 yen, and the name of the establishment will be made public.[21]
According to a survey conducted by the National Police Agency at the end of December 2022, there were 119 establishments nationwide engaged in JK business. Of these, 78 provided massage services to customers, 32 provided food and drinks, 6 allowed customers to take pictures or watch the girls, and 3 engaged in activities such as conversing, playing games, or telling fortunes with customers. 70% of the establishments conducting JK business were located in Tokyo, while 21% were located in Osaka. In Tokyo, 30% were located in Ikebukuro, 20% in Akihabara, and 10% in Shinjuku. According to the National Police Agency, however, the number of businesses announced is not the number of businesses where girls are actually serving customers, but the number of businesses that advertise that high school students and others are serving customers.[22]
In 2023, the National Police Agency issued instructions to police departments in each prefecture to intensify efforts to eradicate JK business. These instructions included thoroughly understanding the actual situation, strengthening enforcement measures, stepping up education and awareness campaigns targeting young people, and improving counseling systems for young people.[23]
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