Inside the Disturbing World of Underage Sugar Dating and Predators Targeting Teens

The Lowering Age of Papa-katsu

“Papa-katsu” (sugar dating) is trending toward younger age groups and has become a significant social issue.

Regarding street prostitution in Shinjuku Ward and Kabukicho, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Security Division announced that there were 112 arrests in ’25 under the Anti-Prostitution Act (soliciting). By age group, 14 were in their teens, accounting for 13% of the total, showing that prostitution by minors continues unabated.

Beyond such visible street prostitution, the buying and selling of sex involving minors is also occurring through “Papa-katsu,” where individuals connect with an unspecified number of men on SNS. In some cases, they offer assistance while hiding their age; interacting with them without knowing can lead to potential criminal acts.

However, it seems that both the women engaging in Papa-katsu and the men acting as “Papas” have their own circumstances. we interviewed both sides regarding their respective claims.

Even within the single term “Papa-katsu,” the forms it takes are diverse. The content spans a wide range, from relationships involving only dining with a “Papa” to sexual relations as compensation for money. A characteristic feature is that sexual relations are finely subdivided into categories such as watching/showing, by hand, and by mouth. Furthermore, it is sometimes referred to as support, making it difficult for the general public to recognize.

The primary reason women engage in Papa-katsu is, of course, money. This is also linked to why the age of Papa-katsu participants is lowering. “A-san,” who engages in Papa-katsu in Tokyo, is 19 years old. She says she started Papa-katsu during high school and still receives an allowance from a specific Papa.

“I started Papa-katsu about two or three years ago. Partly because my high school banned part-time jobs, I thought about how to earn money and decided to do Papa-katsu. When I looked into it, I learned that I didn’t necessarily have to sell my body and that just being treated to a delicious meal could be enough, so I thought I could do it myself.” (A-san)

It is said that if one’s communication skills are high, it is possible to receive money without selling one’s body like this, but if that is not the case, some kind of compensation becomes necessary after all.

“If you want to earn money quickly, selling your body is the fastest way. Even for ‘puchi’ (sexual acts excluding intercourse), you can sell for a high price because you’re a minor; when you think about it as 10,000 yen for one hour, the rate is exceptional. I don’t sell my body, but I do send photos of myself in underwear and receive allowance via PayPay. I figured it’s safe as long as there is no physical contact.

There are quite a few men on SNS who want to connect with minors. I’ve heard of some people who live on support from a different Papa five times a week and earn about 700,000 yen a month.” (A-san)

The Papas’ Side of the Story

What exactly do the “Papas” providing support seek from these women? Mr. B, a man providing support in the Tokyo metropolitan area, says, “Engaging in Papa-katsu is more wholesome than spending money at places like girls’ bars or hostess clubs.”

“I’m what you call unpopular with women, so I have no point of contact with them. However, since I like women, I spend money on Papa-katsu. It’s like a hobby. At a hostess club, you need a significant amount of money just to do an ‘omise’ (pre-work date) and play at the club, but with Papa-katsu, you just go to dinner and that’s it. Since they talk to me happily just for that, it’s helpful for me. Plus, we don’t go to high-end restaurants, so it’s cheaper.” (Mr. B)

Even if the partner is a minor, his approach remains the same.

“In fact, I think I’m lucky. There are no young girls who would talk to someone like me, so it’s fun to hear stories from today’s youth. Also, they don’t ask to be taken to expensive restaurants or want brand-name goods, so it helps financially too.” (Mr. B)

Mr. B says he draws a line, stating, “I don’t have physical relations because I don’t want to get involved in trouble.” However, it seems there are “Papas” who do have physical relations even with minors.

Ms. C, who says she used to sell her body through Papa-katsu and other means, reveals the methods of “Papas” who target minors, saying, “They target us while being fully aware of our circumstances.”

“There are actually minor hunters who target only minors. Since minors never appear in the legal adult entertainment industry, there seems to be a sense of premium. Moreover, with SNS encounters, taking advantage of the fact that their true identities won’t be revealed, there are people who film videos or take photos without permission, perform acts without condoms, or bring friends along without asking.

Most girls doing Papa-katsu have poor home environments and no one to rely on, so in the end, they have no choice but to suffer in silence. The other party knows this, so they take advantage of their vulnerability and do reckless things.” (Ms. C)

Ms. C asked a man who filmed a video without permission to delete it, but she says she gave up on the deletion because she was threatened with harsh words such as, “You’re still a high school student, right? What will you do if the school finds out?” and “Go ahead and report me, but I’ll expose you too.”

The “Papa-katsu” of minors is carried out because the needs of the “Papa” side and the girls’ side appear to align. However, there is no doubt that it is an extremely dangerous act, especially for girls who are vulnerable and have nothing to rely on when things go wrong. Transactions conducted via SNS are particularly difficult to bring to light, and no one may be there to help even if they become victims of a crime.