The Emergence of Foreign Street Girls in the Heisei Era

In recent years, the “tachinbo” (street prostitution) in Okubo Park in Shinjuku, Kabukicho has been featured in the media and has become a topic of discussion. “Tachinbo,” one of the most primitive forms of prostitution, has continued for a long time. In the fourth installment of a series written by the sex industry journalist Akira Ikoma, the situation of tachinbo from the late Showa era to the Heisei period is introduced.

 

 

From the selling side country to the sold side country

In the previous installment, we discussed the “panpan,” the street prostitutes who primarily catered to American soldiers in the period immediately after the end of World War II. Wearing flashy outfits, walking arm in arm with U.S. soldiers, and selling sex day and night, the panpan were a stark contrast to the more modest street prostitutes that had existed before. As the occupation of Japan by the Allied forces ended, the trend of panpan began to wane. During the subsequent period of rapid economic growth, foreign women who had come to Japan to work appeared on the streets of entertainment districts. In this installment, we will look at the situation of street prostitution in the Heisei era, which became more international in nature.

In 1972 (Showa 47), Southeast Asian women began to appear on the streets and in hotel lobbies around Tokyo’s Akasaka district, attracting customers. In places like Akasaka and Roppongi, it became common to see foreign prostitutes waiting for customers in snacking bars and coffee shops. These women were known as the “Japa-yuki-san.” Due to the economic disparities and the benefits of a stronger yen, most of these women entered Japan with the intention of working in bars, hostess clubs, strip clubs, or as street prostitutes, and their numbers continued to grow over time. Around 1978 (Showa 53), street prostitutes from Taiwan began to appear, and the following year saw a dramatic increase in migrant women from Southeast Asia, which led to the term “Japa-yuki-san” becoming well-established.

The term “Japa-yuki-san” was coined in contrast to the term “Karayuki-san.” From the late Edo period onwards, Japanese prostitutes who were sent from places like Shimabara in Kyushu to Southeast Asia were called “Karayuki-san,” with “kara” referring to “Tang” and meaning foreign. The term “Karayuki” was later modified to become “Japa-yuki.”

The “Japa-yuki-san” came not only from Southeast Asia, including Taiwan, Korea, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, but also from Europe and South America. Their primary work in Japan involved the “Turkish bath” and call girl services. Initially, they worked in urban areas, but gradually they began to appear in neon-lit districts in rural areas as well. By 1981 (Showa 56), Indian street prostitutes were reported in Osaka and Kobe, earning 20,000 yen per hour. Around 1983 (Showa 58), “Japa-yuki-san” were also employed in new forms of sex work, including mistress banks, mantle clubs, dating cafes, and peep rooms.

 

The Emergence of Foreign Street Prostitutes

In 1990 (Heisei 2), during the height of the bubble economy, the rapid increase of foreign street prostitutes in Shinjuku’s Shin-Okubo area became a social issue. This was due to a revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, which forced foreign women engaged in illegal work out of the sex industry establishments. Young women from Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Colombia, Argentina, and other countries began to appear in large numbers in the back alleys that connect職安通り (Shokuan-dori) to Okubo-dori, with their numbers reaching over 50, and at times exceeding 200. The sight of women dressed in revealing clothing, exposing their chests and thighs, seductively enticing passing men was something that had never been seen in Japan before, and it was quite shocking.

However, this situation couldn’t be left unchecked for long. By 1991 (Heisei 3), hotels in the Shin-Okubo area put up flyers that read “Foreign street prostitutes are not welcome,” and authorities began to strengthen their crackdown. As a result of this pushback, foreign street prostitutes flowed into Ikebukuro. Taiwanese students and South American migrant workers joined the mix, creating an unusually charged atmosphere around the west exit of Ikebukuro Station.

In Tokyo’s Kinshicho area, Russian street prostitutes began to appear in 1993 (Heisei 5). Their rates were 25,000 yen plus hotel fees, and their service was described as just sleeping together. The following year, there was a sudden increase in South American women, particularly from Venezuela and Chile, working as night women in Kinshicho. By this time, foreign street prostitutes were no longer a rare sight. However, by the mid-1990s, these foreign women were all targeted in crackdowns, and their numbers gradually decreased.

Even in the 2000s, they could still be found in entertainment districts. The peak was around 2003 (Heisei 15), with Ikebukuro and Shin-Okubo having particularly large numbers. In Ikebukuro, about 20-30 foreign women stood around the small love hotel district located a bit away from the west exit. I went there for research at the time and was struck by the youth, beauty, and international diversity of the street prostitutes. There were also older Japanese women working as street prostitutes in the love hotel district near the north exit. I remember being shocked by the stark contrast between them and the young, beautiful foreign street prostitutes I encountered. Additionally, there were Japanese street prostitutes near the toilets by the north exit. The southwestern side of the station near the Metropolitan exit also became a street prostitution spot.

In Shin-Okubo, foreign women gathered around the love hotels along narrow alleys lined with Korean restaurants leading to Kabukicho, numbering around 15, and this area became known as “International Street.” Gradually, their numbers decreased, and by the 2010s, only around 3-4 women remained, mostly older Asian women.

Street prostitutes were also present in Uguisudani and Machida. In Uguisudani, older Korean and Chinese women worked near the love hotel district north of the station. It was difficult to find good-looking women during the day. The going rate was about 15,000 yen, but you could enjoy yourself for 10,000 yen. After the disappearance of “chon no ma” in Machida, the love hotel district near the south exit became a spot for Southeast Asian and South American street prostitutes. For a time, it was crowded with customers, but due to strict crackdowns, the area eventually disappeared.

Throughout the Heisei period, the most prominent group of street prostitutes in Tokyo were South American white women. They would approach customers in sexy outfits with low-cut tops and cast enticing looks. Some would even ask, “Hotel, want to go?” when they made eye contact. In contrast, Asian women from countries like South Korea and Thailand tended to be more reserved. This was likely due to cultural differences.

The going rate was about 15,000 to 20,000 yen, excluding the cost of the hotel. Oral sex outdoors was much cheaper, at around 5,000 yen. If you become a regular, they might offer discounts or spend time with you without worrying about the clock. However, there were many stories of failures or troubles, such as “When I bought a street prostitute, she wasn’t a woman,” reflecting the risks involved in such illegal transactions.

In the next part, we will explore the street prostitution situation in cities like Osaka and Nagoya, and introduce new types of street prostitutes who appeared in the later Heisei period.

Part 2: “Foreign Tachinbo Appeared in Various Parts of the Country and the ‘Reinforcement Women’ Who Originated in Okubo Park.