{"id":421,"date":"2012-10-18T11:20:04","date_gmt":"2012-10-18T11:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/?p=421"},"modified":"2012-10-18T11:20:04","modified_gmt":"2012-10-18T11:20:04","slug":"education-don-t-tell-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/?p=421","title":{"rendered":"education don\u2019t tell mom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
education don\u2019t tell mom<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Extra Curricular Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie<\/h3>\n

Japan\u2019s schoolgirls get sex education on the streets<\/h3>\n

High court judges, homeroom teachers and corporate executives engage in after school affairs with underaged prostitutes. Such stories have headlined the news over the past few years. Enjo kosai <\/em>\u2013 often translated as \u201ccompensated dating\u201d has become a trend amongst teenage schoolgirls and their middle-aged patrons. Whether it be for the sake of purchasing a new designer handbag, or paying off an astronomical cell phone bill, a relatively large percentage of Japanese teenage girls are engaging in what we refer to in the west as prostitution.<\/p>\n

Obviously, gathering statistics on just how many girls sell their bodies is quite difficult, as neither the schoolgirls nor their patrons are willing to admit to the whole truth. However, the majority of studies show that more than just a few teenage schoolgirls partake in the world’s oldest profession. This is not a new problem, however. According to a 1997 report by Asahi Evening News, 17% of female students in their senior year of junior high school saw nothing wrong with compensated dating. This study carried out by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Associations of Japan showed that some 13% of students ranging from 14 to 15 years old felt little reluctance to engaging in sex for money. These numbers have undoubtedly grown over the past few years and our own informal and completely subjective research has shown far higher percentages of young girls engaging in prostitution.<\/p>\n

TJ pounded the streets of Shibuya looking for the reasons behind compensated dating.\u00a0 Miki, a 15-year old junior high school student agreed to speak with us.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I have sex with older men for money, but my parents don\u2019t know about it. I haven\u2019t even told my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cCan you tell us how you first got into it?\u201d
Miki:<\/strong> \u201cThe first time I did it, I had to. I had an \u00a580,000 cell phone bill and they were threatening to shut off my phone if I didn\u2019t pay it. I couldn\u2019t tell my parents because they would get angry and make me give up my phone. I decided that since it was my cell phone that got me into this situation, I would have to use it to get me out. Using my cell phone I sent out a few messages to Internet sites where men were looking for young girls to meet. The first two guys paid me \u00a550,000 each. However, the second guy was really creepy and after having sex with him I was so stressed and upset that in order to relax, I decided to buy a new wallet, which left me short of money to pay off my phone bill. Because I didn\u2019t want to have to deal with anymore creeps, I promised myself that the next guy would be the last and after paying my phone bill I would never do it again \u2014 no matter what. However, he was really young and only had \u00a515,000, so I wound up sending more messages to the same Internet site. Before I knew it I had slept with ten or fifteen men.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u00a0\u201cSo at \u00a550,000 per customer, you must have saved over half a million yen by now!\u201d
Miki:<\/strong> \u201cNo, the amount I get is different each time and actually I\u2019m totally broke. I really don\u2019t know what I did with the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWhat do you mean? You must have spent it somehow.\u201d
Miki:<\/strong> \u201cYes, I bought a few designer bags, and some clothes and stuff but the problem is if I use them my parents and friends will ask where I got the money, so I keep them in a locker at the station.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWell, it seems like you don\u2019t have much use for the money, so you can stop now, right?\u201d
Miki: <\/strong>\u201cNo, I have to pay my phone bill next week. I owe about \u00a595,000 so I will have to meet a few more guys, but this time will be the last, for sure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWouldn\u2019t it be easier just to get a part-time job?\u201d
Miki: <\/strong>\u201cThat\u2019s impossible. The school I go to doesn\u2019t allow us to have part-time jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are thousands of girls throughout the nation in situations similar to that of Miki. For one reason or another, they saw compensated dating as a way to make quick money. We have learned from those that we have spoken to that it is not always as easy as it appears. TJ recently took a tour around Shibuya to talk with people about their views on compensated dating and school-aged girls\u2019 relationships in general. Obviously, not many of them were willing to divulge their true identities, therefore we have labeled them as A, B, C, etc.<\/p>\n

Teachers A & B: Two Japanese female physical education teachers who work at a private all girl junior high and high school in Tokyo.<\/em><\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWhat do you think about the phenomenon of young girls sleeping with middle-aged and elderly men for money?\u201d
Teacher A<\/strong>: \u201cWe both think it’s terrible. This is a big problem for many of the students in our classes. They don\u2019t seem to find anything wrong with it and there is not much that we can do to stop it. One girl in my class has had four abortions and she hasn\u2019t even turned 17 yet. When I asked her what the fathers of the babies said, she said she wasn\u2019t sure who they were. Another who is not yet 16 has slept with over 50 men. It is completely out of control.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cDon\u2019t teachers have a strong influence over their students? I would think that there would be some way through a Sex Education class or something that you would be able to influence these girls to take a look at some of the dangers involved in compensated dating.\u201d
Teacher B:<\/strong> \u201cYes, you\u2019re right. Teachers do influence students \u2014 not only with their words but also with their actions. One of the problems is that some of the male teachers date the students in our school. You see, young girls tend to fall in love with their male teachers and a lot of these guys take advantage of them. I know that at least one of the teachers invites students to his house for private consultations and it is obvious that he is having sex with them. I am not sure that this problem can be resolved through a Sex Education class. It is a moral issue. In fact, many of these young girls are more experienced sexually than the teachers and seem to have no guilt about what they are doing. Recently, I tried to approach one of my students that I know is selling her body to men. She looked at me and said \u201cSensei, it is none of your business. When was the last time you had a boyfriend, anyway? What do you know about sex?\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cWell, at minimum, you should be able to do something about male teachers dating your students. Can\u2019t you report them to the principal?\u201d
Teacher B:<\/strong> \u201cAre you kidding? The principal himself just recently married a college student that was a former student of his, and I probably wouldn\u2019t be around for long if I started making too much noise. In fact, if anyone knew we were telling you this stuff, we would both be fired.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cCan you tell just by looking at them which ones are involved in compensated dating?\u201d
Teacher A:<\/strong> \u201cNo, not really. They all seem so innocent, but once in a while I will hear the girls talking or I will notice a sudden change in attitude but it is not always obvious. Some of the students that have consulted with me about their involvement with compensated dating seemed to have some kind of stress coming from their home life or relationship with their boyfriends. I would say that it is a social problem that society itself needs to address. The Japanese media is constantly influencing men to go after young girls, so the men give them what they want \u2014 money for designer clothes and accessories and the girls give them sex.\u201d<\/p>\n

Group C: A group of five college-aged girls at a fast food restaurant.<\/em><\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cThis may be a little difficult as you are a pretty large group, so why don\u2019t we appoint one of you as a spokesperson and you consult with everyone and summarize the views of the group. Okay, have any of you taken part in compensated dating?\u201d
Group C:<\/strong> \u201cNo! We\u2019re too old for compensated dating. Compensated dating is only something junior high and high school girls do.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cOh, so you mean college girls don\u2019t sell their bodies for money?\u201d
Group C: <\/strong>\u201cWell, of course some girls do . . . but it\u2019s not called enjo kosai. That\u2019s prostitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cSo are you trying to say that compensated dating is not prostitution? What\u2019s the difference?\u201d
Group C:<\/strong> \u201cMen who hire college girls are just looking for sex but those who are interested in enjo kosai are looking to fulfill their Lolita fantasies.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cSo have any of you ever had sex for money?\u201d
Group C<\/strong>: \u201cNo.\u201d (Unanimously<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>Do you have friends that have?
Group C:<\/strong> \u201cYes.\u201d (Unanimously<\/em>)<\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cWhat is the difference between you girls and your friends that have done it?\u201d
Group C<\/strong>: \u201cWell, most of them started by working in a hostess bar and began having sex with the customers from the bar for money. None of us have ever worked in a hostess bar . . . well except for Tomomi. Hey, Tomomi \u2014 have you ever done it?\u201d<\/p>\n

(Tomomi shakes her head \u201cno\u201d nervously.)<\/em><\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cI would like to ask you a question on a slightly different topic. What do you think about schoolgirls dating their teachers? Do you girls find anything wrong with it?\u201d
Group C:<\/strong> \u201cWell, it depends how young they are. We thought 14 or under is probably too young to date a teacher, but if they are really in love, it wouldn\u2019t be so bad for a junior high school third grader.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cSo none of you see a problem with the age difference and the fact that it may influence the teacher to pass the student with a higher grade than she deserves?\u201d
Group C<\/strong>: \u201cThe age difference isn\u2019t a problem and it is the teacher\u2019s responsibility to have ethics that allow him to separate his relationship with the student as a teacher and a lover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interviewee D: A 16-year-old high school girl who admitted to engaging in compensated dating<\/em><\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cSo why did you engage in compensated dating?\u201d
D: <\/strong>\u201cSome of my friends are the most popular girls in my school and come from some rich families. They all enjoy collecting designer goods. My family can\u2019t afford such things and some girls at school told me a way I could make some easy money. All I had to do was have sex with some men. I was already having sex with boys anyway, so I figured if I could get money from doing it, I could go shopping and hang out with my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cSo do you have a lot of brand name goods now?\u201d
D: <\/strong>\u201cNo. Actually, I have been selling a lot of them to a second-hand shop because I don\u2019t like the brand I used to collect anymore, but they only pay a little bit of money for second-hand goods. I just started collecting this brand. Do you like my new wallet? I just bought it yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interviewee E: A 19-year-old beauty college student that has been having sex for money with men since she was sixteen.<\/em><\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cHave you ever had a boyfriend while engaging in compensated dating?\u201d
E: <\/strong>\u201cI started dating men for money during my second year of high school right after my boyfriend broke up with me \u2014 he was the one who I lost my virginity to. I wouldn\u2019t do it if I had a boyfriend \u2014 that would be rude. The first time, I put a message about myself on an Internet message board and chose a sex partner from the men who wrote to me. It was pretty easy. From the Internet, you can find men who just want dinner, men who want dinner and sex, and those who just want sex, but on most of the dates I had sex. Some of the guys want to give me money, and some of them feel uncomfortable, so they just give me presents. That\u2019s okay, as long as they give me the receipts in case I don\u2019t like them.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ: <\/strong>\u201cHave you saved any money?\u201d
E: <\/strong>\u201cNo. I usually spend all of my money on shopping. Then I feel blue and quit doing it for a while. During that time, I always give away all of my stuff because it reminds me of all the bad experiences I have had.\u201d<\/p>\n

TJ:<\/strong> \u201cHave there been many bad experiences?\u201d
E: \u201cToo many to talk about and many too bad to even think about.\u201d
\u00a0
So, who are the victims and who are the victors in this web of sex, lies and Lolitas? Are the schoolgirls the victors because they are able to earn astronomical amounts of money in a very short time? Or are they the victims because they are selling their souls for designer goods that tomorrow may be out of fashion? Is it the male Johns who are being taken advantage of by these young girls that are experts at manipulating the men into giving them whatever they want or are these men simply getting what they pay for? Could it be that the true victor is behind the scenes — the corporate marketers who have an in-depth knowledge of today\u2019s culture and through marketing research know that these young girls will go to any length to stay in fashion?\u00a0 Might one philosophy be that the real pimps in this ring of prostitution are the designers and department stores that target and get rich from these young, vulnerable girls?<\/p>\n

Who the victims and victors are remains to be answered.\u00a0 We would like to hear your feedback on this.\u00a0 Send your comments and opinions to tj@nexxus.co.jp<\/p>\n

Did you know . . .<\/h3>\n

134,282 students were absent from primary and middle schools in Japan for prolonged periods of time exceeding one month during the fiscal year of 2000?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

education don\u2019t tell mom Extra Curricular Activities By Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie Japan\u2019s schoolgirls get sex education on the streets High court judges, homeroom teachers and corporate executives engage in after school affairs with underaged prostitutes. Such stories have headlined the news over the past few years. Enjo kosai \u2013 often translated as \u201ccompensated dating\u201d has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-link-issue"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=421"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.tokyojournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}