Enjo kosai

Enjo kōsai, (援助交際, えんじょ こうさい), or "dating for assistance," in English usually called compensated dating, is a practice in Japan where high school-aged girls are paid by older men to accompany them on dates and/or to render sexual services.

Most observers, especially overseas, regard it as a form of prostitution.

The social network surrounding enjo kōsai is complex. Most initial contacts are made over "telephone clubs", anonymous public chat lines that are advertised by handbills and business cards in entertainment districts. Dates are then generally arranged by mobile phone or e-mail from mobile phone.

Enjo kōsai is linked with the consumerist kogal subculture. It appeared after the end of the 1980s economic boom, and many observers believe that it serves as a way for young girls to preserve the lifestyle of that era, despite their families' more difficult financial situations. Others, especially within the Japanese academic establishment, see enjo kōsai as a coming-of-age ritual that has naturally developed in Japan's contemporary capitalist society.

By various estimates, 5 to 13 percent of high school girls engage in enjo kōsai, which may or may not include sex. [1] [2]

Although prostitution has been illegal in Japan since the 1950s, and special laws concerning prostitution of minors have been in place since the 1990s, enjo kōsai has not been regulated by the Japanese government, as it does not fall within the legal definition of prostitution unless the client expressly pays the girl for sex (which is rare, given the indirect nature of the transactions). Because the age of consent in Japan ranges from 12 to 16, depending on jurisdiction, enjo kōsai clients cannot be charged with statutory rape.

Despite lawmakers' and governments' ambivalence, enjo kōsai has been reported by the Japanese media.

Further resources

• Bounce Ko Gals (Baunsu ko gaurusu) (1997) - a film by Masato Harada, set in the world of enjo kōsai, burusera shops and kogals.
• Love & Pop (1998) - a film by Hideaki Anno.