Japan's child porn addiction

A nation that openly sexualises youngsters has become the world hub for a dark, booming industry. Now police have decided to tackle the culture of abuse

It was a shocking find: crudely made DVDs with images of grown men having sex with children as young as 12. Until this year, the men who bought those images faced little more than a slap on the wrist. But police in Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, decided for the first time during the summer to pursue criminal charges against three male customers in a country widely seen as much too lenient on child pornography.
Child porn-related crimes have grown fivefold in Japan through the last decade, according to the country's National Police Agency. At least 600 children a year fall victim to paedophile directors and photographers. "The internet is probably the biggest factor," said Akira Koga, spokesman for the Kyoto Police. "It's very difficult to monitor and control." A new police cyber patrol uncovered the trail back to the three men from the DVD producer in Tokyo.

Bookstores and convenience stores across the country stock magazines carrying semi-naked pictures of pubescent and pre-pubescent children. Many underage girls have built careers as so-called "junior idols", posing in suggestive poses. In the electronics district of Akihabara, Tokyo's capital of geeky cool, tourists gawk at cartoon images of children in various stages of sexual distress, all perfectly legal. One of the nation's most popular pop groups, AKB48, features a revolving cast of members, some as young as 13, persuaded to pout in adult lingerie for videos and magazine covers.

In 1998  the Japan's Diet finally passed a law which made it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 and still in high school to appear in an AV.  Until that time any woman 16 years of age or older could appear in an AV.

There is also a problem with online dating sites which are used by older men to obtain dates with high school girls.  Even though it's against the law these laws are rarely enforced.

Saying that these young models are photographed in sexually suggestive poses is an under statement as they are often photographed in G-strings so tiny that they might as well be nude.