Overview
- The Justice Ministry launched an expert panel to consider revising the 1956 Prostitution Prevention Law, which now punishes sellers but not buyers.
- Officials opened the review after complaints about street solicitation near Tokyo’s Kabukicho, where women with heavy debts have been waiting for clients.
- In an Asahi interview, industry worker Murakami Kaoru opposed buyer penalties, saying they would drive away law‑abiding clients and leave risk‑takers who press for unsafe acts and steep discounts.
- She warned that tying the trade more closely to crime would cut earnings and fuel stigma against people who work in the sector.
- Murakami urged measures like clear job rules, safety checks, and relief systems, noting abuse stems from weak protections rather than sex work itself, while separate coverage detailed the panel’s formal process.