Sex tourism, as the name suggests, is an activity done for sexual pleasure. In fact, it is said that people go to Thailand-Bangkok to see the natural beauty including massage-spa and sexual pleasures. This practice has been going on in India and its surrounding countries for a long time. Now a new country is emerging as a capital in terms of sex tourism. Where doing sex related activities for money is legal and a large number of people are doing it here. The reason for increase in sex tourism could also be the worsening economic condition of the country.
What is sex tourism?
Sex tourism is the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships and providing money in exchange. This practice mainly operates in countries where sex work is legal. The United Nations World Tourism Organization has acknowledged that the industry is organized both within and outside the structured laws and networks they have created. It is often believed that poverty is the main reason for sex tourism in a country. Lack of employment opportunities, especially for women from disadvantaged backgrounds, is cited as a factor pushing them into prostitution.
This Asian city is the new center of sex tourism
The emergence of Japan as a developed country as the center of sex tourism in Asia challenges this simplistic notion. It also raises questions about socio-economic factors and whether Japan’s status as a developed country is being compromised. Japan once experienced a period of significant economic growth, which attracted foreign currency and led some Japanese men to have extramarital affairs with women from economically disadvantaged countries.
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Tokyo is now a destination for sex tourism
However, according to The Star, the situation has reversed. Tokyo is now a destination for sex tourism, attracting foreign men seeking such experiences. This shift coincides with a weak yen and rising poverty. Yoshihide Tanaka, secretary general of the Japan Liaison Council Protecting Youths (Siboren), painted a grim picture of the current situation. “Japan has become a poor country,” he told This Week in Asia. Tanaka’s organization noticed an increase in the number of foreigners visiting the park soon after travel restrictions were lifted following the pandemic. He said, “But now we are seeing a lot more foreign men; they come from many countries. They are white, Asian, black, but the majority are Chinese.”
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Is increasing poverty a factor?
Tanaka said that with this influx, there has been a worrying increase in women in their teens and twenties turning to the sex industry to survive. However, the increase in violence is also a cause for concern. Tanaka finds it frustrating that his organization’s ability to address the issue beyond existing measures is limited. Tanaka’s disappointment is not surprising, as this situation is not new to him. According to Tokyohive, the prostitution business has grown rapidly in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district in recent times. Tanaka recalled her decade-long struggle to support young Japanese women coming to the notorious district. He stressed that vulnerable persons continue to be exploited in the region’s maze of bars, love hotels and host clubs.
