Predatory tactics of the Japanese porn industry 0
Porn actors wave to fans during a sex toy fair in Tokyo in 2014. Photo:Â Stock Image
According to AFP, pornographic films are very popular in Japan, where a number of famous actresses regularly appear on mainstream television shows, or talk columns in major weekly magazines.
However, people rarely discuss publicly the dark side of this industry, such as actors being deceived, exploited or forced to act in films.
A coalition of porn star advocates and lawyers is trying to expose abuse by porn producers.
The group has recorded more than 130 cases of abuse over the past four years.
The group said that more and more young women, mainly in their 20s, and even young men and boys, are asking them for help.
`These women were forced to act in sadomasochistic films against their will,` said Yukiko Tsunoda, one of the coalition’s lawyers.
These people were mistreated during filming, such as being forced to have sex without using protection, or even being gang raped.
The most common scam is for agents to follow young girls on the street and pretend they are looking for models to sign a photo shoot contract.
`It seems like these women voluntarily act in porn, but that’s just a facade,` said Hiroko Goto, a professor at the Faculty of Law, Chiba University.
The Japanese porn industry each year brings bosses up to 4.4 billion USD, with more than 20,000 movies.
The coalition group said it is pushing the government to increase oversight of the porn industry, as well as close legal loopholes that allow abuse to occur.
