A tweet calling women who do papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) “poor people being sexually exploited” is trending on Twitter, and it made me curious enough to ask.
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I’m currently writing a university paper on women’s sexuality, the darker side of it, and how it has changed, so I’d like to use your responses as a reference.
I’m sure the terminology changes with the times, but although exchanging money for sex or romance has been called various things—enjo kosai, being a mistress, or papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan)—I feel that, in the end, the reality is the same in every case: prostitution.
So my question is: By using the cute-sounding term “papa-katsu” instead of saying they’re engaging in prostitution, do you feel that your sense of guilt is reduced?
I’d like to hear from both men and women.
I’m not committing a crime, so I don’t feel guilty.
Since you’re a university student writing a paper, I assume you’ve studied deductive and inductive reasoning.
Your current line of thinking is basically this childish, elementary-school-level syllogism（笑）:
Prostitution = a crime
papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) = prostitution
Therefore, papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) = a crime
But first of all, do you even consider prostitution a crime? You need to argue that point before anything else.
If prostitution were treated as a crime and eliminated from society, sex crimes would actually increase dramatically. So what do you suggest we do about that?
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I basically agree. However, if this is for a graduation thesis, the terms need to be defined a little more precisely.
Japan once had a licensed prostitution system, but today regulated prostitution—including human trafficking—is prohibited. On the other hand, although the law prohibits “having sexual intercourse with an unspecified partner in exchange for compensation,” there are no penalties for simple prostitution, where someone merely receives compensation for sexual activity, or for an individual making a living through it.
There is also no legal definition of “sexual intercourse,” which is crucial for enforcing the law. Therefore, so-called papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) is not illegal. In fact, depending on how it operates, Universe Club itself could potentially fall under the Anti-Prostitution Act.
At the same time, as you point out, people use various terms—enjo kosai, mistress relationships, papa-katsu—to describe receiving money in exchange for providing their bodies because both men and women want to avoid the image evoked by the word “prostitution.”
It’s an interesting topic, but rather than simply concluding that these terms reduce feelings of guilt, shouldn’t differences in terminology also reflect differences in substance? Perhaps papa-katsu has characteristics unique to it. It might also be worth examining Universe Club, which acts as a bridge between the two.
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I think I’ve been answering questions here for about a year, and I’ve started to notice some patterns.
① As you mentioned, women and men who are using it for prostitution
I think this group consists mostly of relatively young women.
② Women who are emotionally damaged and register because they’re looking for somewhere they belong
③ Women who want a genuine relationship, but also want a glamorous, upscale romance—having their date expenses covered, going to nice places, and so on
In both the first and second cases, they may earn money, but it seems their hearts could become even more damaged, perhaps beyond repair.
Lately, I’ve had a feeling that suicides may increase over the next few years.
I’m more of type ③: I want love, but I also want to experience a different, more glamorous world.
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Good morning!
Universe Club is working every day to dispel the questioner’s preconceptions about papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan).
First, please try reading the book. It explains the president’s thoughts on dating clubs.
There will also be a talk event in Osaka starting at 7 p.m. today. Apparently, there will be an opportunity to ask President Kida questions directly, so please take advantage of it.
It will also be streamed on TwitCasting. If you’re really writing a paper, you’ll watch it, right?
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No, they’re not all the same—you’re overlooking something important. There’s only one question that needs to be asked:
“Is there love in it?”
I don’t understand why something so simple is so hard to grasp.
To the questioner: Stop fiddling with your smartphone all the time and watch some TV.
Okami Santaro
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During my student days, I studied a range of perspectives, from classical Marxist feminism and ecofeminism influenced by the women’s liberation movement to radical feminism. As a result, I’ve been able to genuinely enjoy papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan).
If you properly study gender theory, you may realize that viewing women who do papa-katsu as uniformly “impoverished people being exploited” is actually contrary to feminism.
I personally believe that my own papa-katsu contains the possibility of a form of free, woman-led sexuality that doesn’t fit within the traditional framework of marriage.
Of course, I can’t speak for anyone else, and there are certainly girls who are genuinely being exploited, so it’s hard to make a blanket statement. What matters is avoiding overgeneralization and starting with specific individual cases.
If you’re writing a paper, don’t begin with theory alone—place importance on the field as well. Only by prioritizing fieldwork can you develop an abstract model.
With that in mind, I hope the person who asked this question is able to enjoy happy papa-katsu.
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I don’t really care what it’s called, but if I had to choose, it’s closer to being a mistress.
If you’re exploring women’s sexuality and the darker side of things, I’d definitely recommend watching the following films and documentaries.
(All of them are available to rent online.)
- Promising Young Woman
- SNS: 10 Days of Girls
- Porn Star: The Path I Chose
- Untold Story: The Front Lines of the Sex Business
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Tomorrow is President Kida’s book launch event, so please buy the book or purchase the livestream.
I’ll probably make a brief appearance too.
https://universe-club.jp/media/neewsbookspapa/
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That’s a very one-sided way of looking at it.
You’re free to lump papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), being a mistress, and prostitution all together if you want.
But asking that in a place where many people don’t see them as the same thing is just picking a fight.
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They may look the same on the surface, but what’s inside can be completely different.
You won’t know unless you experience it for yourself. And even then, you only recognize the difference when you come to feel that way yourself…
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I haven’t been intimate with my main girl for over six months, but I still give her a monthly allowance.
Does this count as prostitution…?
With a lounge hostess, it started as a dating relationship, and I offered to support her financially.
Would this count as prostitution too?
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> You mentioned writing a paper.
Is it your graduation thesis?
If so, I think you should start by registering yourself, actually going on dates, and seeing whether you feel guilty—or whether changing the wording affects how guilty you feel.
From there, you should base your research on your own experience first, then look into how other people feel. You may also want to consider whether you can actually include what you asked here in your thesis.
If you’re serious about writing it, start by applying, going through the interview, and becoming active. Then explain that you’d like to write about it in your thesis and ask whether they would be willing to cooperate.
The people on the ground might brush you off, but Universe is the kind of company that finds this sort of cooperation interesting and may be willing to help.
A survey of female members would probably be difficult, but you might be able to ask the staff questions or request cooperation from male members.
I can’t say what they can or can’t allow, but if you approach them seriously, they are a company that will give you answers.
They also hire new graduates every year. I’d like you to set aside your preconceptions and give it a try.
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Your opening has nothing to do with the question.
If sex involving the exchange of some kind of compensation is considered prostitution, then marriage would be prostitution too.
If sex accompanied by payment each time is considered prostitution, does giving someone gifts or paying their rent make it no longer prostitution?
And what exactly is “sin”? For example, under the laws in the Old Testament, unmarried women who were not virgins were apparently sentenced to death for the sin of adultery. Even today, some devout Christians consider sex before marriage to be fornication and a sin. If you’re writing a paper on women’s sexuality and how it has changed, surely you’re aware of that.
When discussing anything, start by clearly defining your terms. Didn’t you learn that in school?
For the record, Japan’s Anti-Prostitution Act defines prostitution as “having sexual intercourse with an unspecified partner in exchange for compensation or a promise of compensation.” I have not had sex with unspecified partners, so I don’t consider what I’m doing a crime in the first place.
P.S.
I looked at the tweet in question. I can understand being angry at someone’s rudeness, but if you respond by being rude to unrelated people, aren’t you just as bad as they are?
Why assume that a woman is a poor person being sexually exploited simply because she is “in a relationship involving an allowance”?
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