The dark side of Japan’s porn industry: Lured by ‘agencies’… then raped on camera, forced to sign contracts and blackmailed into making degrading movies

An industry that runs on exploitation, coercive behaviour and false promises of runway dreams to young impressionable girls – Japan’s disturbing porn industry has long been a legal grey-zone.

In a country where walking the streets can result in being targeted by ‘modelling agency’ actors before victims are lured to discrete offices to sign their freedom away, the multi-billion-pound porn industry continues to be a poisonous trap from which unknowing women find themselves battling to escape.

With an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new actresses debuting each year, and the annual number of released videos hitting over a concerning 35,000, these numbers become even more terrifying as many women and girls are subjected to rape, blackmail, and sexual assault as part of their introduction into the industry – by up to 15 men at times.

A 2020 government survey revealed shocking figures suggesting around a quarter of Japanese women in their teens, 20s and 30s have been solicited for supposed modelling jobs on their local streets and of those who agreed, 14 per cent were then pressured to perform sex acts.

But the glaring dangers of this spiralling industry became increasingly urgent in 2022 when Japan lowered it age of adulthood from 20 to 18 – meaning that teenagers could more simply get swept up into the sick porn world.

The chilling methods used by the fraudulent ‘scouts’ have been revealed over the years as light is cast over the shadowy crevices of an industry that has thrown countless women’s’ lives into darkness, as they recount living a life packed with shame, guilt, and trauma.

Here, MailOnline has explored the grim underbelly of an industry that continues to dominate one of the most influential and economically successful countries in the world.

EXECUTING THE TRAP

There are a series of cruel methods to which industry scouts target their victims, and they all ultimately end with girls and women being sold false dreams and getting exploited.

One technique, revealed by Wakana Goto, a case worker at PAPS – a Japanese NGO focused on ending sexual exploitation, in a harrowing YouTube documentary, tells how single young women are approached ‘downtown where the youths hang out’ by predominantly male ‘modelling scouts’.

In a twisted effort to woo the girls and lure them into trusting them, the recruiters shower them in compliments – telling them ‘you are so beautiful, you could become a celebrity’.

The women often reject the strangers’ offers and proposals, but the men persist until the target gives in and agrees to visit the agency.

While some believe they have hit the career jackpot, describing being ‘scouted’ as a ‘dream come true’. 

When the unsuspecting target enters the agency office, however, she is not met with a studio full of mirrors, lights, and designer clothes, but a small hidden room filled with anywhere from between three to 15 men.

These men then take over the recruiting process, convincing the woman to join their sick agency while continuing to gain her trust by telling her how ‘popular of a model she will be’.

At this stage, many women reportedly still decline the offers, causing the men to become frustrated that their efforts are not paying off.

When they refuse to let their victim leave their discrete office, she is forced to sign a contract, tying her down to the agency.

‘But when she gets home she realises she should cancel the contract so she calls the agency and tells them that she wants to cancel it, and they say: ‘Fine, but you need to come here again to cancel the contract’, so she goes back,’ Goto explained.

The women, full of hope that she will be able to release herself from the contract returns to the male-run office where she is then raped.

Throughout the harrowing ordeal, a camera is set up and the assault is filmed – to later be used as either blackmail, or a porn movie.

Recalling a previous case that she had worked on, Goto said this scenario was frequently seen among victims.

‘Since they had the footage that she was being raped, she couldn’t go against them, actually she appeared in several adult videos as they demanded her,’ the case worker said.

Many women feel they are then trapped in their contracts, under the hand of their new ’employers’ and a signature they felt pressured to hand over.

The second most popular method of recruiting girls and women into the porn industry, is chillingly carried out online and involves none of the target, approach, attack method.

Instead, while college girls are browsing the internet for high-paying part-time jobs, they may come across ‘parts modelling’ or ‘new goods testers’ as seemingly credible options.

‘There’s no mention of porn, sex, or anything like that, they say it’s just your hands or leg modelling,’ Goto explained. 

Desperate for extra money, but with little time to spare outside of their education, many girls get sucked into what they believe could be just the job they are looking for.

After applying for the position, and inevitably becoming accepted, she turns up to the office for her apparent first day, where she is then recommended to change her role to one which pays more.

This job is to appear in pornographic films.

As the ’employers’ continue to try and convince her to agree to their sickening plot, it becomes harder for the woman to decline.

Eventually, many women say yes out of fear. 

Another anonymous women in the documentary, who fell victim to a similar scheme revealed how the men would emotionally blackmail the girls until they felt guilty for rejecting their lucrative offer.

The nameless victim recalled the producer asking her: ‘After preparing all this for you, you won’t say you can’t do it, right?’ 

‘You did sign the contract, right?’

‘It took us a lot of time and energy to prepare this for you, you can’t tell me now you can’t do this job, come on, don’t cause trouble to the staff’. 

These tactics then lead the women to believing they have to continue taking part in the filming – especially while surrounded by up to 15 unknown men.

In a sick attempt to console their victims, the recruiters will plant false promises into their heads – telling them they will never be recognised.

And the method they tell the women will conceal their identity is makeup.

Through dolling them up in heavy foundations, lipstick, wigs, and costumes, they convince the girls they will look ‘totally different’ while performing in front of the camera.    

The woman had quickly appeared in several pornographic films and was desperately clawing her way out of a situation that had left her feeling intense guilt and shame.

‘Looking back, I should’ve said no or run away but they were right that I did sign the contract and I was told “this is just a necessary process to become a successful model”,’ she said.  

Despite these deeply troubling and consuming emotions, the victim bravely approached the police after being tricked into appearing in porn.

But in a horror turn of events, and one she had never expected, she alleges authorities turned her away, stating she had signed a contract. 

She was informed that under the deal she had signed, she had to make at least two more films before she break her contract.

Goto said: ‘When she went to talk to the police they said “Why not just do it? Only two more times, right?” which is so unbelievable’.

FIGHTING A ‘HELLISH SITUATION’ – IS JAPAN’S ‘ADULT VIDEO LAW’ WORKING?

In June 2022, victims of these porn recruitment traps joined forces with lawyers and pushed through an industry-changing bill to prevent the exploitation of adult video (AV) performers.

The law was tailored specifically to victims who had been lured into the industry through deceit and lies – over those who had willingly entered into the world of pornography through safer and more consensual channels.

The AV Law gives these workers the right to a one-month period between the signing of a contract and the filming of a video, as well as four months between the filming of the video and its release.

Producers are also required to give a copy of the contract to the signee, but many fake organisations that fly under the radar do not offer their victims this luxury.

As well as providing actresses with a copy of their contract, no matter their age, those who appear in adult movies also have the legal right to break their contracts within a year of the work’s release for any reason and without paying penalty fees.

When this happens, the video must be deleted and recalled – an attempt by lawmakers in Japan to prevent talent scouts from bullying or tricking people into appearing in porn that remains online for years. 

‘Once the films are distributed they stay online essentially forever, to be consumed by an unspecified number of people, effectively becoming digital tattoos’, the vice president of the Tokyo-based NGO Human Rights Now, Kazuko Ito said.

Contract misrepresentations are punishable with a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine of up to three million yen (£14,600), while corporations can be fined up to 100 million yen (£486,700).

Additionally, the law makes it, in principle, illegal to force people to take part in sex acts in front of the camera.

Members of PAPS, who had sought to have the legislation put in place, called the law ‘groundbreaking’ at the time and Ito said: ‘Compared to the hellish situation before where there was no recourse for victims, this is really a valuable step forward. 

‘It’s a law giving victims hope’.

But this hope was was fragile and doubts swirled around whether those lured into the murky adult film industry were even able to say ‘No’ in the first instance.

Kurumin Aroma, a YouTuber and social activist who previously fell victim to the horrific porn scam bravely spoke out on her experience after the new bill was launched, but was skeptical of whether it would be enough to combat the massive issue that had been consuming Japan.

She recalled wanting to break into the music industry as a university student before she was scouted and pushed into a situation where she couldn’t refuse appearing in a pornographic production.

Aroma said she felt she was coaxed into starring in the film in a cruel exchange for her dream of becoming a music icon, with her scout suggesting ‘How about putting on a swimsuit once?’, ‘How about getting nude?’ and even telling her, ‘AV actresses are No. 1 in the industry’.

‘I tried to refuse many times, but eventually I couldn’t,’ she said at the time. 

‘I think this law is a step forward, but I’m worried about whether it is guaranteed that someone being victimised can actually say ‘no’ on their own when there are no observers around them.’ 

But despite the law, Japanese adult film remains a murky, grey area that continues to boom and dominate the porn industry.

It is estimated to churn out some 4,500 videos a month, to generate around 55billion yen (£270million) a year, and to employ an estimated 10,000 performers. 

The problem also became more urgent in 2022 when Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 – meaning more teenagers could become legitimate targets of the porn industry.

Yet, how much the industry has improved since the law is unclear, as is the extent of exploitation as research and data into the issue has dwindled since the bill was instated.

The lack of research makes the industry a black box, said Makihara Hideki of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

PORNSTARS PROTESTING AGAINST THE LAW THAT PROTECTS WOMEN AND GIRLS

In February, Japanese AV actresses marched through the streets of Ginza, Tokyo, carrying pink banners and umbrellas in protest – of the law that is in place to protect girls from being forced into the industry by predatory companies.

Around 100 pornstars took to the streets in what was considered the Japanese AV industry’s largest ever demonstration to argue that the law did not protect people – but took work away from professional actresses.

Banners read: ‘The law that was supposed to protect stars is instead pushing them into a dead end’.

Porn actress Kanae Nozomi told KoreaBoo a month following the protests: ‘Legitimate productions go the extra mile to ensure consent at the time of signing. 

‘They shouldn’t paint all of us with a broad brush because of a few bad actors’. 

Despite the horror stories from women who have fallen prey to scouts and fake agencies, industry stars said the law was killing their livelihoods.

They stormed the streets in the rain, demanding legislators to revise the current AV Law to ‘save the AV industry from the danger of collapsing’.

The protesters claimed the months-long bans on releasing films were too restrictive and violated their constitutional right to work.  

TV producer Terry Ito, 74, marched front and centre, leading the large group of accesses to Yurakucho Station where protesters collected petition signatures. 

He believes the AV Law has backfired – admitting that even though it is in place to protect women from being coerced into porn, the bigger issue revolves around how there has now been a notable decrease in the number of new productions and new talent.

But while large, well-known porn companies tend to be fairly transparent, there are still believed to be several underground businesses and teams of scouts that refuse to abide by the law and continue to exploit hundreds of thousands of women and girls every year.