Overview
- The joint operation, which deployed about 160 personnel on Friday, focused on Kabukicho’s “To-yoko” area in Shinjuku.
- Teams entered about 70 nearby hotels and handed out notices urging staff to report suspected prostitution and warning that knowingly allowing such use can bring legal risk.
- Roughly 20 internet cafes and karaoke venues were told to verify users’ ages, since city rules bar people under 18 from staying inside during late-night hours.
- Pharmacies received alerts to watch for forged or altered prescriptions and large or repeat purchases of over-the-counter drugs, with police asking for calls about suspicious buyers.
- A police official said adults are preying on minors, and data show juvenile referrals in the zone rose to 747 in 2025 from 69 in 2020, with more than half coming from outside Tokyo.