Key Trends in 2024
On December 11, 2024, the National Police Agency released its annual review of sex-industry-related crime. As the most notable feature of 2024, it cited an increase in large-scale, network-type crime spanning multiple prefectures.
Key indicators - Violations of the Employment Security Act (scouting): up 28% year on year - Violations of the Anti-Prostitution Act (baishun boshi-ho): up 18% year on year - The large September bust (42 arrests) significantly pushed up the annual number of people arrested
AI deepfake-related harm: up 3.5 times year on year. The lag in legislation was made clear as a challenge.
Host-club-related enforcement: newly counted, recording 43 cases in its first year.
Challenges Heading into 2025
As measures against organized crime, three priority challenges were cited: (1) aggressive use of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crime (confiscation of criminal proceeds), (2) new legislation against digital sex crimes, and (3) strengthening support systems, including for foreign victims.
This article was compiled based on publicly available information.