Enjokosai
Enjokōsai ( Japanese 援助 交際 , " Temporary accompaniment ", also written Enjo kōsai ), Enkō ( 援交 ) for short , is a phenomenon in Japan in which (often underage) high school women can be endured by wealthy, often much older men. The transition to prostitution is fluid.
Demarcation
In contrast to “classic” prostitution, the vast majority of girls only occasionally engage in Enjokōsai as a hobby or only when they need money; Sometimes it would be more accurate to say that you are looking for a partner for a relaxed relationship, with the main focus on his willingness to give expensive gifts. In addition, Enjokōsai does not necessarily include sex: Sometimes the “ suitor ” only needs to be able to talk to a young girl for a few hours in order to “feel young again” or to be seen (young women as a status symbol ). Sometimes it remains voyeuristic satisfaction or touch through clothing.
development
The emergence of Enjokōsai as a mass phenomenon began in the early 1990s and is often seen as a result of the collapse of the so-called " bubble economy ", during which a particularly excessive consumer culture arose in Japan. The young people who grew up with it internalized this, and as pocket money became scarcer with the economic decline, the attractiveness of Enjokōsai grew as a way to get a lot of money quickly, especially since all Japanese middle schools and many high schools forbid students to to earn something extra through regular work. The wages are often paid in the form of “gifts” instead of money, e.g. B. as a designer handbag or item of clothing from a coveted brand that are bought together.
Enjokōsai is relatively common in Japan: Depending on the survey, 4–25% of all girls have done enjokōsai at least once, but often only as a one-off experiment. Contact is established either by speaking on the street ( Nampa ) at known places such as B. manufactured in the Tokyo district of Ikebukuro , or by Terekura (telephone matchmaking services ) or now increasingly via Deaikei Internet sites . Should it come to sex, this takes place expediently in love hotels . To combat Enjokōsai there are now legal regulations that are intended to prevent the use of such services by minors.
See also
literature
- Don't sell yourselves cheap . In: Der Spiegel . No. 7 , 1997, pp. 133-135 ( Online - Dec. 10, 1997 ).