News On Japan

Thousands of Thais trafficked to Japan for prostitution each year

Mar 07 (thethaiger.com) - Thousands of children and women are trafficked from Thailand to Japan for prostitution every year, a recent study shows.

A senior Thai police officer says he found that Japan has been the largest market of Thais trafficked into the sex industry.

“In the case of illegal trafficking of women and children for prostitution, Japan has been the largest market for trafficked Thais in the last 10 years, with about 10,000 to 15,000 sent annually. ”

The study led by Pol Lt Col Dr Pongnakorn Nakhonsantiphap covered both domestic and international human trafficking, finding that the main targets were poor women and children, many in school or university. Many of those trafficked into the sex industry had been promised jobs, like work in a factory, but had been tricked into sex work.

The study also found that each year around 30,000 Thais labourers were trafficked overseas, many to Taiwan.

Concerns of human trafficking in Thailand rose after the 2015 case where authorities found a worker camp and mass grave for Rohingya migrants in Songkhla. A number of senior officials and “influential” people were said to have been involved, including an army general who was sentenced to prison for conspiring with traffickers. Due to the number of influential people allegedly involved in the operation, the lead investigator fled to Australia for his safety.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The prestigious Matsusaka Beef Competition, a showcase of premium cattle from Mie Prefecture, was held Sunday, where the top-ranked cow was auctioned for almost $200,000 (30.32 million yen).

A renowned Japanese photographer based in New York, Yasuomi Hashimura, known for his groundbreaking contributions to American advertising photography, died after being pushed on the street by a man.

Japan is on track to surpass its all-time annual record for foreign visitors, with over 30 million arrivals so far this year.

A suspicious object feared to be explosive was discovered at a high school in Sapporo on the afternoon of November 22nd, causing temporary chaos. The object was found to have been brought to the school by one of its students.

China says it will resume allowing visa-free visits by Japanese nationals on short-term trips from the end of this month. (NHK)

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

The 'Itami Madan' festival promoting multicultural harmony across national boundaries was held on Saturday in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, featuring the 'janggu,' a traditional Korean drum.

A suspicious object feared to be explosive was discovered at a high school in Sapporo on the afternoon of November 22nd, causing temporary chaos. The object was found to have been brought to the school by one of its students.

A man with a distinctive snake-like tattoo on his face has been arrested for shoplifting and assaulting a convenience store employee in Tokyo. The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Masakatsu Echizenya, is accused of stealing items from a store around noon on November 15th and violently attacking the employee who confronted him.

Hifumi Kato, affectionately known as 'Hifumin,' has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for the longest-running chess puzzle column in a magazine.

A male caretaker at Tennoji Zoo in Osaka has been sent to prosecutors on suspicion of stealing vegetables and fruits used as monkey feed.

Japan is facing a deepening crisis of poverty and inequality, with rising reports of 'invisible homeless' individuals and growing economic hardships among the population. Discussions over reforms to the country's tax and welfare systems have taken center stage, as policymakers grapple with how to provide meaningful support.

The operator of a strip theater in Osaka's Tenma district, advertised as "Western Japan's largest," has been arrested alongside nine others for exposing dancers' lower bodies to customers, police announced.

Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, has begun producing traditional calligraphy artwork for next year’s New Year celebrations.