TOKYO - Japanese women have been increasingly denied entry into the United States, with a growing awareness among border control officials of the use of "agents" prearranging jobs in the lucratic escort trade.
Tomoyo Sato, an administrative scrivener familiar with U.S. visas, noted, "We've seen a dramatic rise in consultations from individuals denied entry due to suspicions of prostitution."
Caught glancing at reporters before lowering her gaze was Haruka Funaki, a 37-year-old date club operator.
Funaki and two others were accused in March 2023 of sending messages via LINE to a Japanese woman in her 30s, inviting her to work in prostitution in Las Vegas, Nevada, violating the Employment Security Act.
Social media platforms are flooded with posts advertising overseas prostitution work with tags like "Earn in the U.S.," "Over 150,000 yen per day," and "Aim for 300,000 yen daily," using code words like "Ave" (average) to suggest significant earnings.
Chiwawa Sasaki, a writer, shed light on this phenomenon, stating, "The reason for going abroad is simple: the potential to earn more. There are 'agents' or 'scouts' who introduce women to these lucrative opportunities overseas. Some women earn over 10 million yen a month."
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Funaki was involved in recruiting a woman in her 30s, with Keiko Tsuzaki acting as the Las Vegas coordinator, organizing job details, and Hiroshi Katagiri providing interpretation services on site.
The woman entered the U.S. in May 2023 under the guise of tourism and engaged in prostitution with foreigners. After running into trouble with clients and intermediaries, she sought help from local police, leading to the exposure of the scheme.
Troubles are rampant in the realm of overseas prostitution.
Sasaki warned, "There's no such thing as an easy deal. I've heard of women detained abroad after entertaining undercover officers."
Tsuzaki and Katagiri have admitted to the charges, whereas Funaki denies the allegations, claiming, "While I did recruit, I didn't believe the job involved prostitution."
Source: FNN
