The decision to host the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo has been met with much excitement from the majority of Japan. The news spread quickly between citizens of the island nation, and Japan’s Stock Exchange flourished in the wake of the announcement. However, the underbelly of Japan’s urban life might not be so happy with the news. In the days leading up to international events such as these, law makers and enforcement officials have a tendency to crack down on some of the morally ambiguous crimes that they would normally turn a blind eye towards. For example, around the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted in Japan and Korea, metropolitan areas saw some high-level crackdown on brothels and other sex-selling establishments.
If we anticipate the same sort of rally to clean up the streets in the years leading up to 2020, then modern red-light districts, like Yoshiwara and Kabukicho in Shinjuku, had better buckle down for some legal disruption. These regions, often referred to as “soap streets” are presumably on the brink of a massive clean-up. And yet, it appears that the famous electronics district and otaku haven, Akihabara, may be the first to suffer a heavy blow in spite the decidedly 2-D nature of its choice adult entertainment. Read More