TOKYO - A man walked straight out of the building, eyes fixed ahead. He was identified as 54-year-old Taniguchi, the manager of a private massage parlor, and is among nine people arrested on suspicion of illegally soliciting customers for prostitution on the streets of Gotanda, Tokyo.
The arrests followed mounting complaints from local residents, with one person reporting, "They keep pestering people, and the crowd is scary!" According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, there have been 134 calls related to customer solicitation in the Gotanda area since January 2024.
The suspects allegedly approached passersby with pitches such as, "How about a massage? It's 10,000 yen for the full service," and "You can choose after looking at the photos." They are believed to have received a reward of 1,000 yen for every customer they brought in, with as many as 50 clients being served in a single day.
One suspect, 42-year-old Song, reportedly told investigators, "I would call out to more than 10 people a day, and about five would agree." Most of the women providing services were Chinese nationals, and the business operated without signage to avoid detection.
Police estimate the parlor had earned approximately 350 million yen since 2023. Six of the nine suspects, including Taniguchi, admitted to the charges, saying they were doing it to make a living. The remaining three have denied the allegations.
Source: FNN
