In some cases, host club staff have charged high fees to female customers to get them into debt and encourage prostitution and crime, and the police are considering strengthening guidance on restaurants and will crack down on illegal activities if they are found.
At the House of Representatives' Health, Labor and Welfare Committee on the 10th, a senior official of the National Police Agency's Public Safety Bureau responded to a question about how to deal with host clubs that are providing malicious customer service, such as forcing women into debt and encouraging them to engage in prostitution, and said, "We will continue to take measures such as investigating illegal activities on the part of host clubs, ensuring thorough compliance with the law, and raising awareness."
In addition, Matsumura, chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, responded to the Diet on the 9th, saying that "I think it is a problem from a common sense point of view" regarding the host club's burden of burdening female guests with debts that are difficult to repay.
In the case of host clubs, there have been cases in which female customers who are unable to pay the high bills from the restaurant and are burdened with debts called "receivables" have been incited to engage in prostitution and criminal acts, and have been subsequently arrested by the police.
On the other hand, according to the National Police Agency, there were 9 host club clerks who were arrested for forcing women into prostitution in the five years to September, and there are also cases where store owners were arrested and forced former customers to engage in prostitution even after they quit the store.
Police across the country are considering stepping up guidance on at least some stores, as they believe there may be malicious customer service that pushes women into illegal acts.
In addition, if illegal acts such as prostitution or solicitation by host club staff are confirmed, we will thoroughly crack down on them.