Earlier this year, police in Tokyo and Osaka began a major crackdown on joshi kosei (high-school girl) “reflexology” massage parlours. As well as massage, the uniformed girls would offer male customers a range of unconventional services such as ear-cleaning, palm-reading and hiza-makura (using the girl’s lap as a pillow).
In place of the old JK parlours, however, a new type of establishment has begun springing up: the taiiku-zuwari cafe. These new cafes ostensibly don’t offer any services involving physical contact, nor do they serve food or drinks. What they do offer is the chance to watch girls sitting like they do in gym class.