Japan is one of the only developed countries that does not achieve Tier 1 status in the annual U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report.  This year, Japan ranked as a tier 2 country, meaning they do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, despite some significant efforts to do so.

The Japanese government is unwilling to deal with a cultural trend known as joshi-kosei osanpo (Japanese for “high school walking”), also referred to as enjo kosai (compensated dating), in which men will pay to spend time with a “school girl.”  This includes anything from talking, fortune telling, and hand-holding to massage and sexual services.

VICE reports on why this practice puts girls at risk for sexual exploitation.