Pimp for teenage girls in Kabukicho busted

A man was arrested for violating the Child Welfare Law on March 24. He is alleged to have had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old high school girl. But he was doing more than just having sex with a minor: It turns out he was a pimp for teenage prostitutes in Kabukicho, one of Tokyo’s biggest nightlife areas.

Yoshiyuki Tsuchida, 27, was called “Ryu (Dragon) in Kabukicho,” police say. “He would approach girls who were working for themselves in Kabukicho, offering himself as a bodyguard. He earned up to 2-3 million yen a month.”

One18-year-old girl who hired him as a bodyguard says: “Ryu didn’t talk about himself at all but he is a guy who looks like a nightclub host. He always worked together with a beautiful woman whom I got acquainted with online. She told me to come to Tokyo to work with them because she said they would give me support. So she was virtually managing teenage prostitutes in Kabukicho on behalf of Ryu.”

A journalist who writes about the sex industry says Tsuchida ran a business acting as a liaison between teen girls and customers in Kabukicho. “However much customers paid, we only got 10,000 yen. Ryu took the rest. Some girls were satisfied with him as a bodyguard even if they weren’t getting enough money. But I didn’t like that,” said the 18-year-old girl.

The journalist said Ryu was not just a pimp but gave the girls “lessons.” “But some girls squealed on him to the police after they got dissatisfied with their earnings.”

Kabukicho was supposed to have been cleaned by police in 2005, but Ryu’s case shows there are still underground businesses exploiting minors in the area. (Translated by Taro Fujimoto)

10 Comments

anderstungtwist at 07:43 AM JST - 5th April

I guess he didn't read "How to swim with the sharks without getting eaten alive." If he had, he would have learned the importance of treating your employees well. For exceptional employees, you have to turn them into partners otherwise they split and take away business.
kaminarioyaji at 08:47 AM JST - 5th April

**anderstungtwist **

Thanks for the business lesson for all us aspiring pimps out here... `tis duly noted.
rjd_jr at 09:07 AM JST - 5th April

I'm surprised these women felt 'empowered' enough to squeal on the guy. In other countries (maybe even Japan except for this one case I dunno) the pimp so brutalizes and brainwashes the women that no way would they think of ratting them out.
bobcatfish at 09:45 AM JST - 5th April

yes, those poor abused women...yawn
greenteaonsens at 11:56 AM JST - 5th April

Disgusting, greedy and amoral people all round. Remind me who is the victim here?
bobcatfish at 12:23 PM JST - 5th April

I am. Surely expressing oneself sexualy is a basic human right. why do i have to fork out 20 000 yen every time i get fed up with self gratification?
VoXman at 12:50 PM JST - 5th April

The world of crime, greed will land you in jail faster than the cops ever can.
Honne at 06:15 PM JST - 5th April

Meh, I know someone who works part-time (up to 4 hours max per evening) as an escort and makes effectively 10,000 yen/hour. How much is the client charged by the front office? 35,000-80,000 yen depending on service (she does get extra for the higher cost services). Sure, they don't see the bulk of the money but what they get still isn't chump change when you consider. Like most escorts at the better places, she only makes herself available a few times per week. And yes, she is a pretty normal person and doesn't have a problem talking about the generalities with me (but is steadfast in not talking about any client). They seem to be taken care of pretty well and are required to be frequently tested.
Sarge at 09:19 PM JST - 5th April

"Kabukicho was supposed to have been cleaned by police in 2005"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
BigDudeGSO at 05:50 AM JST - 8th April

Kabukicho was supposed to have been cleaned by police in 2005"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!