Tokyo faces growing sex tourism concerns

Tokyo is facing growing concerns over sex tourism, with advocates reporting an increase in foreign men seeking commercial sexual services involving young women.

Yoshihide Tanaka, secretary-general of the Seiboren youth protection group, said the situation has changed significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more foreign men visiting areas where young women offer sexual services.

Advocates say economic hardship, pandemic-related debt and the weak yen have contributed to the trend, while social media is increasingly being used to recruit young women into the commercial sex industry.

Japanese police have also arrested suspects accused of recruiting women through social media. Authorities alleged that the network had contracts with around 350 shops across Japan.