Overview of the Indictment
On September 13, 2023, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office indicted five senior members of an organized prostitution group based in Tokyo and Kanagawa for violating the Anti-Prostitution Act (baishun boshi-ho) (organized/managed prostitution and provision of premises). The group is said to have operated from 2021 to 2023, managing more than 60 women and having them provide sexual services.
The Group's Mode of Operation
The group used a membership-based website and a dedicated app to draw customers from across the country, providing "dispatch-type" services mainly in Yokohama and at various locations in central Tokyo. Its operation was characterized by a highly organized structure, with multiple specialized "coordinators" assigned to manage the women's earnings and to handle communication and scheduling with customers.
The Situation of the Victims
Many of the victims were in financial difficulty and had applied after seeing job advertisements promising high pay. Some testified that "I learned what the work really was only after I started, but when I tried to quit I was threatened."
The group controlled the victims' movements and communications, creating conditions in which they could not escape. This was a key basis for the indictment as organized/managed prostitution.
This article was compiled based on publicly available information.