Dating-service cafes, which have been added to the list of establishments subject to possible legal restrictions by the National Police Agency are luring young women into them by offering various free drinks, snacks and amusements.
At least six dating-service cafes operate in an amusement area near JR Ikebukuro Station in Toshima Ward, Tokyo. The district is known as a fiercely competitive area for dating cafes.
One of the dating cafes bears a sign claiming the cafe has many female members. There were notices inside the cafe indicating various services for women, such as the availability of hair straighteners and free manicures. A handful of women were sitting in chairs reading manga and waiting for male customers to choose them.
One sign stated that minors under 18 are prohibited from entering the cafe. However, the cafe only asks the women their ages and does not require them to show identification. There were girls who looked like high school students inside the cafe.
"Many young girls visit here," a cafe employee said.
On the wall of the cafe, introduction cards for the women were posted with their pictures attached. One of the cards stated, "I'm 18. Wanna go karaoke?"
Male customers have to pay 2,000 yen to the cafe every time they choose a woman to speak to in separate room. If the two agree, they can go out on a date.
However, the man has to pay another 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen to the cafe when taking the woman out.
The cafe generally takes in about 10,000 yen per male customer on average including membership fees, the cafe said.
Men are also required to pay 3,000 yen to 10,000 yen to the women after taking them out as "transportation expenses."
A woman--who described herself as 19 years old--said: "I recently quit my job. I feel comfortable here, and I can kill time when I have nothing to do."
The NPA pursued 33 sex crime cases in 2008, including child prostitution, in which minors were involved via dating cafes, an increase of seven cases over the previous year, the NPA said.
In June, the Kanagawa prefectural police arrested a 41-year-old company employee on suspicion of committing obscene acts upon a 14-year-old girl whom the man became acquainted with at a dating-service cafe.
In October, the Osaka prefectural police raided a dating cafe which had 13 minors aged from 13 to 17 years old dating male customers. The girls were middle and high school students.
Some dating-service cafes have begun operating until 5 a.m. Observers point out that such places might become a hangout for runaways.
Prof. Kenji Kiyonaga, who specializes in criminal sociology at Japan Women's University, said: "Many girls are reported to visit the dating cafes to earn pocket money. The dating cafes are encouraging sex crimes by abusing loopholes in the law. If the police leave the matter as it is, the cafes may spread nationwide. I believe it's necessary to regulate the cafes."
