The 'Toyoko' Problem and Sex-Industry Crime
"Toyoko" in Shinjuku's Kabukicho (the area around the Toyoko Inn building) has become known as a gathering place for runaway minors and young people with nowhere else to go. With a rise in offenders exploiting the location to approach, scout, and sexually exploit minors, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police established a dedicated special enforcement unit in October 2023 and launched an intensive investigation.
Specific Types of Crime
The main types of sex-industry-related crime confirmed around Toyoko are as follows: - Solicitation of runaway minors for "sugar dating" (papa-katsu) - Solicitation into "JK business" and live-chat work - Coercion into video filming and adult-video appearances - Sexual crimes using drugs (the use of so-called "date-rape drugs")
Results and Challenges of the Crackdown
In the first month after its establishment, the special unit carried out a total of 18 crackdown actions related to illegal scouting, prostitution, and drugs, arresting or referring 22 people to prosecutors. At the same time, many observers point out that "even if enforcement is strengthened, the problem will not be solved unless the root causes that draw young people together—poverty, family problems, and social isolation—are addressed."
This article was compiled based on publicly available information.