Picture Perfect Paranoia

I’m sure you, and the general public, weren’t expecting something like this, were you?
Teeny-bopper deri-heru hanky-panky — the best little jail bait in Saitama - Mainichi WaiWai

There’s nothing particularly new about the problem of “enjo-kosai” — or “compensated dating,” as teen prostitution has been euphemistically referred to by its practitioners since first observed around 1990. But even Shukan Taishu (3/24) was aghast over the events that took place in Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture, last month.

On Feb. 21, the city’s juvenile police section pounced on — sorry, let’s make that “apprehended” — a 17-year-old girl we’ll call “Eiko,” on suspicion of violating the several statutes related to abetting prostitution by minors.

This goes to show that it’s not how young you are, but how savvy are you, when it comes to making business, no matter how shady it might seem on the outside. Also:

Reiji Toono, author of romantic novels read by teenage girls, including one titled “Another Love — The ‘Enko’ Life of a Middle-school Hooker,” tells Shukan Taishu that such a case, of a teenage madame running teen hookers, is so rare that even he was astonished.

“It’s not unusual to see a man living with a young woman force her into prostitution and rake off a portion of her earnings,” says Toono. “But it’s quite remarkable for a 17-year old girl to be so astute and wind up running the operation.”

The current law banning sex with females under age 18 provides for imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 1 million yen for offenders. These penalties, however, do not seem to be much of a deterrent.

P.S.: Oh Japan. XD