Kabukicho Host in His 20s Accused of Assaulting High School Girl

He lured a high school girl using social media

On July 1, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Arakawa Kounosuke (28), a host from Kabukicho, Tokyo, on suspicion of committing indecent acts with a then-second-year high school girl in exchange for money. Arakawa allegedly met the girl via social media around April 5 and paid her 15,000 yen to engage in sexual acts.

“The arrest stemmed from a mass crackdown on ‘Toe-yoko’ (the area around Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre) in April of this year. The victim was picked up for wandering the streets late at night and found to be in an overdose from over-the-counter drugs. During questioning, she hinted at the incident with Arakawa, saying something like, ‘I did some compensated dating recently,’ which led to the arrest,” said a national newspaper’s social affairs reporter.

The girl had reportedly frequented Toe-yoko and used social media to engage in compensated dating. While she claims she disclosed her age to Arakawa, he has admitted to the indecent act but stated, “I don’t remember” regarding her age—an irresponsible claim.

During questioning, Arakawa also reportedly said he liked girls with “Jirai-kei” (mentally unstable-style) makeup. On July 1, as he was sent to prosecutors, Arakawa kept his head down in front of the press, never revealing his face—perhaps out of guilt.

It is widely known that sex crimes against minors have a high rate of recidivism. According to a report released in July 2023 by the Children and Families Agency on sexual crime recidivism, 13.9% of those previously convicted of sex crimes reoffended within five years—meaning roughly 1 in 7 commit another sexual offense.

Lawyer Shuji Suzuki stated that while the current case would likely result in a guilty verdict with a suspended sentence, he also stressed the need for societal systems to prevent reoffending.

“Since the case likely involved sexual intercourse, the prosecution will probably seek 1 year and 6 months to 2 years in prison. If it’s his first offense, a suspended sentence is possible. Among sex crimes, those involving minors have particularly high recidivism rates because many offenders have a sexual preference for minors. Without correcting that preference, reoffending becomes more likely.

However, studies show that those who undergo custodial treatment for sex crimes have a 10–20 percentage point lower recidivism rate than those who don’t. If the crime stems from a sexual preference, then correcting that preference can lower the chance of reoffending. In that sense, stricter penalties and improved support systems could help both society and the offender reintegrate more smoothly.”

Further investigation will likely focus on whether Arakawa has additional offenses. A sincere attitude in facing the gravity of his crime will be essential moving forward.