A man rides a bicycle past billboard advertisements for 'host clubs,' establishments that offer entertainment with male companions, along a street in the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku Ward in Tokyo. Host club operators are known for their ties with the criminal underworld. (Photo: AFP)
There was a time when poor women from third-world countries like the Philippines would come to Japan to fill the ranks of the entertainment business, night clubs, and even engage in prostitution. The notion that these women, often driven by economic necessity, would seek opportunities in Japan's bustling nightlife was a well-known phenomenon.
However, in a surprising and troubling reversal of this trend, it is now Japanese women who are seeking to make money abroad by selling themselves. The shift in this dynamic is stark and highlights the changing socio-economic landscape in Japan.
Once, Japan was seen as a land of opportunity for many women from developing countries. Here, they could earn more in the entertainment industry or through illicit means than in their home countries. These women were often vulnerable and exploited, but they still saw Japan as a place where they could escape poverty.
Today, the economic struggles and societal pressures in Japan have driven some Japanese women to seek similar opportunities abroad. The rising cost of living, stagnant wages, and the pressure to maintain a certain lifestyle have all contributed to this shift.
In particular, the extravagant nightlife culture in Japan, with its host clubs and high-end bars, has left many women in significant debt, pushing them towards desperate measures to repay these obligations.
A recent investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has revealed a disturbing trend of Japanese women being recruited for prostitution abroad. This has led to the arrest of a prostitution broker based in Japan and two associates on charges of recruiting a Japanese woman to work at a brothel in Australia.
The suspects, who manage a brothel in Sydney, reportedly earned about 40 million yen (around $257,000) over a year by employing Japanese women, who are deemed popular among foreign clients.
The three men, including Yoshio Usui, a 54-year-old company executive from Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward, and Yosuke Ohara, a 44-year-old company executive from Fuchu City, Tokyo, face accusations of violating the Employment Security Act. They allegedly solicited a woman in her 30s, who responded to an online job advertisement, to work at the “244 Paddington” brothel in Sydney in March 2023. The suspects have admitted to the allegations.
According to the MPD, Usui and his associates recruited women through job listing websites, posing as agents for migrant workers in Australia, and reassured applicants that prostitution was legal under a working holiday visa. At the Sydney brothel, two to three women, predominantly Japanese, were typically employed at any given time.
As traditional values fade and financial desperation grows, the lack of institutional support exacerbates the problem, pushing vulnerable women into exploitative situations. Once considered degrading, prostitution is now seen by some as a necessary means of survival, highlighting a troubling shift in societal values where monetary gain has become the primary goal.
This decline in moral and spiritual support from religious institutions, which once provided guidance and assistance, has left a void that is being filled by economic desperation.
One of the fundamental ethical guidelines in Buddhism is the adherence to the Five Precepts, which serve as a moral foundation for laypeople. The third precept specifically advises against sexual misconduct, which includes any form of sexual behavior that causes harm or suffering to oneself or others.
Prostitution often involves exploitation, coercion, and harm, directly violating this precept.
The Noble Eightfold Path, which is central to Buddhist practice, includes the principle of "Right Livelihood." This principle encourages individuals to engage in occupations that do not cause harm to others and are ethically sound.
Prostitution is seen as unethical because it can lead to the exploitation and objectification of individuals, degrading their dignity and often placing them in harmful situations. This is contrary to the principle of Right Livelihood, which seeks to promote well-being and ethical living.
Also, Buddhism teaches that actions have far-reaching consequences, both in this life and in future lives, and engaging in prostitution can generate negative karma which in turn affects one’s future rebirths, perpetuating the cycle of suffering.
As spiritual values diminish in modern society, the ethical standards that once guided behavior erode. In Japan, this decline is evident as more individuals embrace secular values, becoming increasingly entangled in the darker aspects of the material world. The prioritization of financial gain over moral and spiritual well-being has led to choices that degrade personal dignity and societal integrity.
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
