Sex trafficking in Japan

Sex trafficking in Japan has occurred from ancient times to the present and has been linked to slavery in Japan. Following the Portuguese contact, Japanese slave girls were transferred to Europe for sexual exploitation. During the Asia–Pacific War, comfort women from Japan and other nations were sex trafficked throughout the Japanese mainland and Japanese-occupied territories. ==Types==

Debts Victims have been sex trafficked or coerced into prostitution because of debts and unlawful loans. People unable to pay bills at host and hostess clubs have been forced to repay debts by offering sex services in Japan or are sent overseas. Exploitation of children Girls, including runaways, are lured, coerced, or forced into prostitution in Japan. Some Japanese students engage in or get drawn into ("compensated dating") in Tokyo and other cities. According to the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, there were 137 JK business operations identified and not closed; 69 individuals arrested for being engaged in criminal activities surrounding the JK business. Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) In April 2025, the National Police Agency in Japan confirmed the arrest of 111 perpetrators nationwide in a joint project conducted in February and March 2025 with five other countries. In total, 544 individuals across the participating countries have been arrested or uncovered for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) often have easy access to children, evident by the number of school teachers that are arrested for violating the child pornography law. Perpetrators may obtain these images by capturing actual exploitation of a child on camera, or through voyeurism (secret filming of children), and often share these images with other perpetrators through social media or other sharing platforms, including the dark web. False promises of work opportunities Besides young Japanese women and girls, foreign women who work in or migrate to Japan are also vulnerable to sexual exploitation, especially those from Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Because of the visa status, these foreign workers are reluctant to seek help from local authorities since they acknowledge the visa was not able to grant them legal working rights in Japan. Combined with factors such as psychological intimidation, language barriers, and cultural differences, foreign women are in a highly vulnerable position. ==Anti-sex trafficking efforts==

Corporations All Nippon Airways (ANA) provides flight attendants with trafficking recognition and reporting training. The "Act on Regulation and Punishment of Activities Relating to Child Prostitution and Pornography and the Protection of Children" criminalized engaging in commercial sexual exploitation of a child, including purchase or sale of children for the purpose of production of child pornography or prostitution. This decision was meant to eradicate the sexual victimization of children resulting from child prostitution and the production of child pornography. The National Public Safety Commission has been designated to govern the overall measures against the sexual exploitation of children. The police also work closely together with the relevant ministries and authorities to crack down on child prostitution-related crimes. Seven major prefectures maintained ordinances banning JK businesses, prohibiting girls younger than 18 from working in compensated dating services, or requiring JK business owners to register their employee rosters with local public safety commissions. The Ministry of Justice's Human Rights Division provides temporary protections to victims and monitors industries and job brokers that recruit foreign nationals. How to report potential human trafficking The government provides a One Stop Support Center for victims of sexual crimes and sexual violence. When in trouble, a victim can simply call #8891 from their phone and their call will be redirected to the nearest center. The full list of centers is available here. The Internet Hotline Center (IHC) receives reports on behalf of the National Police Agency of all online illegal content, including human trafficking, child sexual abuse images or ads that meet the definition of illegal prostitution. URLs can be reported anonymously through their website. PAPS receives reports and offers consultations via phone or through their website in multiple languages. ZOE Japan offers consultation for children under 18 through their website, phone or via the LINE messaging app. ==See also==