The story below is originally published on Mainichi Daily News by Mainichi Shinbun (http://mdn.mainichi.jp). |
They admitted inventing its kinky features, or rather deliberately mistranslating them from the original gossip magazine. |
In fact, this is far from the general Japanese' behavior or sense of worth. |
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Cops go to work on oldest profession in the world 2008,1,3
Shukan Post 12/21-28 By Ryann Connell
Osaka's adult entertainment districts, traditionally areas that have provided innovative and exciting ideas for Japan's ejaculation industry, are at risk of extinction thanks to a cop crackdown, according to Shukan Post (12/21-28).
Tighter policing is turning out the neon lights in Osaka's entertainment districts.
The city that has customarily led the way in introducing new and wacky ideas to sate customers' carnal cravings may now be the harbinger of a tougher line against sex services being taken across the entire country.
"Cops began getting stricter at the start of 2007, especially when it came to dealing with sex businesses. They're really tough on street-side scouts trying to pick up customers, which is why there are now so many guide booths in the area," a worker at one of the booths tells Shukan Post.
Osaka's Minami and Kita districts, once filled with handjob and blowjob bars and massage parlors saw many of these establishments replaced by the guide booths last year.
"Even the guide booths can only be open until 1 a.m. And once they shut down, customers disappear off the streets, too."
Some of Osaka's longest-running and best known nightclubs and strip joints were raided by police last year, with dozens of sex industry workers arrested on indecency-related charges.
"There's a lot of finger-pointing going on in Kita and Minami over why some places have been raided and others haven't. But Osaka's cabaret club scene is on its last legs. Customers aren't visiting the clubs anymore, saying they've become boring," the operator of a long-running cabaret club tells Shukan Post.
"Osaka's sex industry has always led the country in coming up with new ideas, but there is nobody with any new ideas around anymore."
Various reasons have been suggested for why Osaka was targeted, including outgoing Gov.Fusae Ota's desire to leave a legacy, police going after the city following a successful clean up of Tokyo's once notorious but now tame Kabukicho and, the most likely, that sex businesses across the country are now coming under increasingly closer scrutiny.
Gifu's renowned soapland brothel district Kanazuen saw almost unprecedented arrests for prostitution made in October, Sapporo's Susukino adult entertainment district has banned its famous karasu-zoku (crows) street-side touts and Niigata Prefecture has made it illegal to try and lure customers into establishments against their will.
Osaka Prefectural Police refuse to comment on what's happening in their city, saying it will affect the way future operations against sex businesses will be carried out.
The National Police Agency, however, is not so shy.
"Prefectural police forces across the country are currently tackling illegal sex businesses operating in entertainment districts," an NPA spokesman tells Shukan Post.
"Each force is looking at what's happening in their jurisdictions and we understand they are all taking a harder line than has been the case until now." (By Ryann Connell)