Overview of the Crackdown
On October 13, 2021, the Public Safety Division of the Osaka Prefectural Police carried out a simultaneous search of 21 adult-entertainment-related venues across the prefecture as part of an "Autumn Concentrated Crackdown on Sex-Industry Crime." As a result, a total of 17 operators and others were arrested or referred to prosecutors for violations of the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act (fuei-ho) (unregistered operation and operation outside permitted conditions) and the Osaka Prefectural Ordinance on Regulation of Adult Entertainment and Related Businesses.
The breakdown of violations is as follows. - Unregistered/unlicensed operation: 9 cases - Late-night operating restriction violations (operation between midnight and 6 a.m.): 4 cases - Employment of minors: 2 cases - Operation within legally protected zones: 2 cases
Notable Cases of Violation
At one venue in Osaka City, investigators confirmed a typical "gray-zone establishment" that posed as a "massage parlor" on the surface while providing sexual services. At another venue, operations posed sanitary problems as well, including the reuse of used linens for customers.
The Current State of the Sex Industry in Osaka
The number of registered adult-entertainment special businesses in Osaka Prefecture is said to be roughly 800 (as of 2021), but the number of venues operating in practice without registration is believed to be even higher. While entertainment districts such as Minami and Kitashinchi are patrolled frequently, the industry is increasingly moving into suburban roadside locations and residential areas, and crackdowns have taken on the character of a game of cat and mouse.
This article is compiled based on publicly available information.