Tokyo bar busted for hiring earthquake victims as prostitutes

Only one women among 15 is from sendai, didnt match the headlines.

Does "3 Nen a Gumi" have some meaning - three years ... group ... ??

not sure what the problem is here. prostitution is an open practice in japan. with soaplands everywhere & more "hostess" clubs then you can shake a stick at. can't hire women as prostitutes from earthquake stricken areas??

"3 Nen A Gumi" is a reference to third grade (elementary school). Guess that is "sexy" and is thus the name of such an establishment. Pretty sick, IMHO.

This shouldn't be illegal. Another example of legislated morality meddling in people's lives.

OMG!

Perhaps the Tokyo prostitutes are worried about the bottom falling out of the market.

3Nen A Kumi is a play on words similar to the San Nen B Kumi television drama with kinpachi Sensei, aka Takeda Tetsuya.

Why were Tohoku women working there anyway? Were they dissatisfied with life in an evacuation centre?

They were trying to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible. There are not many job openings available to them. Perhaps, their family breadwinner is no longer alive.

Did the police kindly offer them free accomodation or was that offer only made to the manager, who was probably paid to stand in as a fall guy for the real owner?

"3 Nen A Gumi" is a reference to third grade (elementary school).

In this case it would certainly be middle school. Yubaru's Kimpachi Sensei analogy is the most likely inspiration. A 39-year-old employee would have a hard time passing herself off as an adolescent. Maybe this place appeals to men with a fantasy for being cuddled by their teachers.

Only one women among 15 is from sendai, didnt match the headlines.

The article says all 15 are from the Tohoku area.

The bar was shopped for violating the labour and anti-prostitution laws, not for hiring earthquake victims.

@ OCTOPUSSY @ Godan

3 nen a gumi means "3rd year 'A' home-room class". It has nothing to do with elementary school, could be jr hi or hi school just as well. If it was a hostess bar, I would tend to think it was saying they were all young, just legal, ie hi school. Or as others said could be a play on words from a tv drama.

There is also, if memory serves me right, an idol group (young) girls that went with the name of San Nen Ni Kumi as well. They were a group of young well endowed "cute" girls. Might be a reference to that too.

That group, again iirc, took it's name from Kinpachi Sensei's class.

can you say Hello Work....been there, seen these type of job postings...

Leave no stone unturned. Self-respect goes right out the window when you need money.

This is the result of the government too busy fighting over power and not getting immediate financial aid to those who have lost everything *IF that story is true.

Turning tricks is always fast money expecially if you can't dance.

I know prostitution is legal here but given the circumstances and the fact that the government has given them very little options it's fair to say that these women had no choice.

It's Japan's bureaucracy that is the cause. It's a rat race out there and bureaucracy equals the rat maze. We all need the cheese. Prosititution is the fastest way to get to the cheese. These bars in Tokyo are where all the big cheeses go to be entertained and sometimes serviced.

Blame the person who created the maze.

correction - illegal

The women are desperate to rebuild their lives and could not find other means. The bar manager should have been more discreet with the services offered.

At least the women were trying to make a living instead of waiting for a government handout. They are in survival mode: to do whatever it takes to meet ends. I said set them free.

I wonder why this type of news isnt often shown on the news

This was bound to happen, a bunch of people with nothing looking for a quick and easy way to make money. I just think about all that money that was donated for relief that isn't reaching the people that need it.

It should be like in Sweden, selling sex is legal but buying sex is illegal,which means that only johns and pimps can be prosecuted.

I agree with crazyjohn, there are too many grey areas in the sex laws here.

I wonder if they ask, 'Did the earth move for you too?"

Someone should talk to those 17 gals and find out their stories.

IT`s a sad world we live in, especially when desparation sets in.

prostitution has been around for a long time, we as adults should be able to choose for ourselves.

with the unemployment going up what else could they do?

I wonder if they ask, 'Did the earth move for you too?"

Yeah, I wonder.... I wonder that too.

Prostitution is a very grey area in Japan. Vaginal sex is outlawed, yet oral and anal sex is seemingly legal.

The police I saw today didn't seem too preturbed by the guy standing 4 feet from the Koban door holding a huge neon yellow sign advertising ANAL ¥8,000. Maybe he was a proctoligist.

Gee. I hope this is not off topic ("Tokyo bar" and "hiring earthquake victims" ok?), but I was thinking that hiring HOSTESSES from affected areas would be a great idea. They have some compelling stories to tell, and salarymen would tip really big to hear them.

I won't say a word about prostitution, but as far as bar entertainment goes, and we know how it goes, the "I'm a poor victim" is a strong emotional hook and an ace-in-the-hole. So to speak. Here is another one: "I am working temporarily as a hostess so my husband does not have to work an extra shift at Fukushima Daiichi."

Who needs to resort to prostitution when you can use stories like that to sell a bottle of Jack Daniels for 1000 dollars?

Note to women: Tough. If you can't rebuild your lives in the purest sense, then you have to suffer. What a beautiful message from politicians and policemen who live in clean houses that still stand with their families and bank accounts intact.

ANAL ¥8,000.

Not the usual ¥20,000. Where is this place at??? I'm an amateur Proctologist.

So is it legal for foreigners to be prostitutes, then?

Not sure why they got caught. Must have done some procedures wrong. It is rare for such places to be busted in Japan.

Maybe they did not get the blessing of the cops beforehand? :-)

Only one women among 15 is from sendai, didnt match the headlines.

Good point - the Johns may have a case for fraudulant advertising - they wanted only disaster victim hookers! In all seriousness, this is a country that loves their "water trade" - prostitution of all types is and has been tolerated since the day this joint started. Every village, town and city has their red-light districts here - why crack down on an industry simply because of the Tohoku Disaster? I mean, the individuals mentioned here were 31 and 39 years old - legally adults (although I guess still children by Japanese standards).