A writer who spent a year closely interviewing a Kabukicho “koinky girl” who was “making 5 million yen at a soap shop” saw a “deep darkness.
In 2006, “Developmental Disabilities and Juvenile Crimes” (Toshihiko Tabuchi, NNN Documentary Reporting Team/Shinchosha) was published, and what used to be a taboo subject has become something that needs to be talked about. A psychiatrist told me that although there is no clear data, girls with such disorders often grow up and engage in the sex industry, such as adult entertainment and prostitution.
People in the field all know this. Managers, owners, etc. However, the media rarely focused on them. There is no need to go to the trouble of telling customers about it, and there is a long history and background. I had never written about such things before, but now that I have a better understanding of them through this interview, I feel that I should definitely write about them and let more people know about them.
If there are “koin-joshi” girls who are forced to stand on the street because of illness or disability, it is easy to think that they should be connected to welfare, but Takagi says that this is not the case. The reason why these girls have to stand up is not necessarily because they are in need, but because they want to pay tribute to their “admirers” such as hostesses, men’s concept cafes, and men’s underground idols.
The reason why they do so is because they seek emotional support and a source of strength from their hosts. They are not looking for welfare or anything like that. They are looking for a freer life, where they are not tied down by time and can use social networking services. They are not looking for welfare, they are looking for a more free life where their time is not tied up and they can use social networking sites. They are not looking for welfare, but to earn money by being a “dating girl. That’s why they are choosing to earn money by working as “dating girls” instead of welfare.
Some of them say they were helped by the welfare system. I think there are many children who are seeking temporary protection, such as not having a house to live in, not being able to earn money, or not having enough money. However, they do not want that kind of life to continue forever.
For example, a volunteer group distributes food at Okubo Park every Saturday, and they say that none of the “koin-joshi” come, but only Toru Yoko minors. So, I’m not looking for them. Rather, they are looking for customers who will buy them.
The darkness that these women face is deeper than we realize.
