Foreign crime fears spur Tokyo cops to search Roppongi sex parlors

tokyoreporter.com -- Sep 20

Fears about foreign crime caused Tokyo Metropolitan Police to conduct searches through sex parlors in the Roppongi entertainment last week, an initiative that is part of law enforcement’s preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games, reports TV Asahi

Beginning at around 9:30 p.m. on September 15, about 50 police and fire officials entered a number of fuzoku (commercial sex) parlors and bars in Roppongi to examine working conditions.

According to police, there are about 2,000 sex parlors in the Roppongi area, which is a located frequented by foreign nationals. Police suspect foreign nationals are behind assaults and drug-related crimes that take place in the capital.

Thus far in 2017, police have issued warnings and orders to suspend operations to at least 300 businesses in the jurisdiction of the Azabu Police Station, according to Fuji News Network (Sept. 16).

The searches are a part of an intensification of security measures in preparation for the Olympic Games in 2020 approaches, police said.