News On Japan

COVID-19 outbreak raises a few uncomfortable questions about Japan's adult entertainment industry

May 03 (Japan Times) - On the April 5 edition of the Fuji TV talk program, “Wide na Show,” comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto discussed proposed economic relief measures for people affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

He mentioned workers employed in the so-called water trade (mizu shōbai), meaning bars, clubs and other after-hours “entertainment” businesses, and said that these workers get paid well and, therefore, he didn’t want his taxes used to support them if they can’t work due to the emergency. The comment sparked an argument on social media, with many people, including prominent plastic surgeon Katsuya Takasu, voicing solidarity with Matsumoto. The thrust of their position is that women in such positions, usually identified as “hostesses,” do nothing but sit next to male customers and pour them drinks.

Besides being sexist — such businesses also employ men, but the argument appeared to be centered on women — Matsumoto’s comment revealed his ignorance about the nature of a business he appears to have patronized. It also showed how prejudice can be reinforced by government policy, as pointed out in an April 15 article in Harbor Business Online by Mieko Takenobu, who looked into this systemic discrimination and explained how dangerous it may prove to be under present circumstances.

Although it’s not clear how much Matsumoto understands about the current government initiatives to help those who have suddenly found themselves unemployed, Takenobu focuses on the emergency compensation that is paid to people who have to take time off from work, usually to care for their children. After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked public schools to close on Feb. 27 in order to help curb the spread of the virus, many parents, especially those with children in elementary school, had to take time off from work to look after them. It’s precisely the kind of situation the compensation was created for.

However, businesses classified as sekkyaku inshokugyō (drinking establishments with hostesses or hosts) or fūzokugyō (a catch-all term that usually includes sexual services) do not qualify for such compensation, mainly because these businesses are sometimes associated with organized crime. However, the COVID-19 crisis puts the matter into a new light. By definition, hostesses, hosts and workers who provide sexual services do not practice social distancing on the job and, as Takenobu explains, epidemics of the past were accelerated by people at the bottom of the economic pyramid due to poorer hygiene and the nature of their work. If a certain class of people is excluded from initiatives to prevent the spread of a disease, that class of people will cause the disease to spread to all classes, regardless of other measures in place. And if a worker in the water trade is a single parent, providing them with the compensation would go a long way to convincing them not to work, thus making it easier to close related clubs and services, so the government has included them in the subsidy scheme this time.

Takenobu says women are disproportionately disadvantaged by the COVID-19 shutdown for several reasons. Unlike the 2008 recession, which mainly disadvantaged nonregular male laborers because factories cut back on production, the coronavirus crisis has mostly affected women who carry out physically difficult caregiving tasks, as well as women in “entertainment” trades that are closing. Like the factory workers in 2008, most entertainment workers are wage-earners, meaning if they lose work they are immediately plunged into poverty unless they receive some kind of public assistance.

What’s more, discrimination isn’t limited to hostesses and sex service workers. Single mothers in general don’t always qualify for work-related welfare due to the government’s bias in favor of “traditional families.” According to a survey by the support group Single Mothers Forum, 48.6 percent of single mothers expect their income to drop since schools closed, while 5.8 percent expect to have no income at all.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The streets of Shibuya became a chaotic scene during the year-end party season, with excessive drinking leading to public disorder. People were found sleeping on the streets, fights broke out among groups of young revelers, and police and emergency services were frequently called to intervene.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has unveiled a new passport design set to be issued from March next year. The new system will allow online applications not only for renewals but also for new passport requests. Submitting an original family register certificate will no longer be required for online applications.

The next generation of solar cells, known as perovskite solar panels, are ultra-thin, lightweight, and bendable. The Japanese government has set a goal of achieving the equivalent of the energy output from 20 nuclear reactors with perovskite solar cells by 2040. With their use set to expand in various locations next year, 2024 is being called "the dawn of domestic perovskite."

The number of teachers taking mental health leave reached a record high of 7,119 in the 2023 fiscal year at public schools across Japan.

Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Santa takes to the skies, delivering presents to southern islands. From the rear of an open transport aircraft, boxes equipped with parachutes descend to the ground, marked by the glow of a blue light. These deliveries, bringing joy to residents of remote islands in the South Pacific, are part of an international joint exercise involving Japan's Air Self-Defense Force since 2015.

Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

Police in Kitakyushu have arrested Masanori Hirahara, a 43-year-old unemployed man living near the crime scene, on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of two junior high school students at a fast-food restaurant.

Influenza cases in Japan have surged since early December, with a sharp increase in patient reports per medical institution. At a Towa Pharmaceutical factory in Yamagata, demand has exceeded supply despite last year’s facility expansion.

Police have arrested Takashima Nozomu, a 64-year-old author on suspicion of leaving a body in his apartment in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

An elderly woman was stabbed by another woman inside Kobe’s Sannomiya subway station, leading to the suspect’s arrest at the scene on charges of attempted murder.

Japanese 'kira-kira names,' with atypical pronunciation or meaning, could soon be partially accepted under certain conditions, according to proposed guidelines from Japan's Ministry of Justice.

The mourning ceremony for 15-year-old Nakashima Saya, who was fatally stabbed at a fast-food restaurant in Kitakyushu City, was held on Tuesday. The attack, which took place four days ago, left Nakashima dead and a male student seriously injured with a deep wound near his waist. Police continue to search for the suspect, who fled the scene immediately after the attack.