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Enjo Kosai
From Virtual Japan
Enjo Kosai is the practice of “compensated dating” (Enjo Kosai translated to “subsidized dating”) – generally elderly men that pay and buy things for attractive younger women for companionship and possibly sexual favors. It does not necessarily mean prostitution, but more like the practice of “escorts” in the West. While there are often sexual favors passed between some couples, any form of paid companionship constitutes Enjo Kosai, even if no sex is involved.
The female participants can be anything from schoolgirls looking for someone to buy them clothes and purses to housewives. The men are generally older, though not necessarily. In a sense, they are considered the “sugar daddy” of the female participant, pampering them for their companionship.
Though there are older women that pay younger men in a similar manner, that type of arrangement is called gyaku-enjo-kōsai, which translates to “reverse subsidized dating.”
History
While Enjo Kosai has existed for thousands of years in some form or another, the origin of the practice with which Japan sees today has been widely debated. Some find it all to be prostitution, or at the very least rooted solely in prostitution, while others believe that it is based off the practice of older men paying younger women to accompany them to karaoke bars.
Enjo Kosai is one of the causes of the Kogal phenomenon. Younger women, some under the age of 18, perform Enjo Kosai in order to get the expensive clothes that they need in order to flaunt their status around the streets of Tokyo.
Current State
Enjo Kosai, despite its prevalence, is seen as a social problem in Japan. Because of its resemblance to prostitution, especially child prostitution, and because it leaves a negative impression of the women that participate in it (as though they can be bought) over 70% of people surveyed find Enjo Kosai to be a significant issue.
Due to the uproar, there have been several laws created to ensure that children under the age of 18 are protected, especially from being paid to perform sexual favors. However, there are few laws regulating the practice themselves, as in many ways it is too close to spoiling one’s partner with materialism to be able to be regulateable. Prostitution has been illegal in Japan since the 1950’s, but since the practice of Enjo Kosai is so difficult to distinguish between actual dating and prostitution, very little legal action is taken.
Enjo Kosai’s popularity in Japan has been causing it to spread to other Eastern nations, including Taiwan and Hong Kong.
According to a recent survey, over 10% of all high school girls have participated in Enjo Kosai at some point over their school career, though over 90% of girls surveyed would not be willing to exchange sexual favors.