<![CDATA[Coronavirus pandemic good for forcing 'pretty girls' into sex work, Japan comedian says]>
A Japanese comedian has triggered a storm of criticism after claiming that the coronavirus pandemic will benefit patrons of the country's sex industry by forcing more hard-up young women into prostitution.
Takashi Okamura made the comments at the weekend on his "All Night Nippon" radio show in response to a listener who complained that he was unable to visit any massage parlours or other such venues Japan's red light districts have been asked to close down to halt the spread of the virus.
Okamura counselled his listener to "save your money" until after the crisis has passed, as there would be impoverished "pretty girls entering [the sex industry] after the coronavirus is over".
Nippon Broadcasting System, the radio station that broadcasts Okamura's show, issued an apology on its website on Monday, saying the comments "lacked understanding" of the current crisis and showed "a lack of respect for women".
Japanese comedian and late-night talk show host Takashi Okamura. Photo: Internet alt=Japanese comedian and late-night talk show host Takashi Okamura. Photo: Internet
In a statement released on Wednesday through his management agency, Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings, Okamura said he "deeply regrets" his comments, which were "extremely inappropriate towards people who are in a difficult position".
Some on social media were supportive of the comedian, describing his remarks as "harmless" and saying that they were taken out of context. Others noted that there could be an element of truth in what he said, given Japan's worsening economic position as a result of the pandemic.
The overwhelming response was negative, however.
"The coronavirus has revealed a lot of ugliness, but this is the worst that I've seen," said one commenter on Twitter.
Another replied: "It has been a while since I read a statement that made me feel nauseous, but this is the lowest. He has no decency as a person."
"How can you say such a terrible thing? Japan's poverty is not a problem to joke about," said a third.
On Reddit, some users agitated for a campaign to be launched against Okamura's management company, with one declaring, "Men know prostitution is paid rape. They know and it thrills them."
In the comments section of online newspaper Japan Today, a reader said the comedian's remarks "unfortunately reflect a typical attitude towards children and young adults by many Japanese men".
An advertisement for a club that offers sexual services in Tokyo. Japan's prostitution laws allow for a range of activities that stop short of penetrative sex. Photo: Getty Images alt=An advertisement for a club that offers sexual services in Tokyo. Japan's prostitution laws allow for a range of activities that stop short of penetrative sex. Photo: Getty Images
"That young women feel the need to sell their body to either support their household or, worse, to obtain those things that society compels them to purchase, at grave danger of psychological and physical injury to themselves, is a cancer in society," the reader said.
Not all of the messages were critical, however. "What Okamura said was not strange as it falls into the category of individual hobbies," said one Twitter user. "And there are people and industries that benefit from the coronavirus."
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
