Extra Curricular Activities

By Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie

Japan’s schoolgirls get sex education on the streets

High court judges, homeroom teachers and corporate executives engage in after school affairs with underaged prostitutes. Such stories have headlined the news over the past few years. Enjo kosai – often translated as “compensated dating” has become a trend amongst teenage schoolgirls and their middle-aged patrons. Whether it be for the sake of purchasing a new designer handbag, or paying off an astronomical cell phone bill, a relatively large percentage of Japanese teenage girls are engaging in what we refer to in the west as prostitution.

Obviously, gathering statistics on just how many girls sell their bodies is quite difficult, as neither the schoolgirls nor their patrons are willing to admit to the whole truth. However, the majority of studies show that more than just a few teenage schoolgirls partake in the world’s oldest profession. This is not a new problem, however. According to a 1997 report by Asahi Evening News, 17% of female students in their senior year of junior high school saw nothing wrong with compensated dating. This study carried out by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers Associations of Japan showed that some 13% of students ranging from 14 to 15 years old felt little reluctance to engaging in sex for money. These numbers have undoubtedly grown over the past few years and our own informal and completely subjective research has shown far higher percentages of young girls engaging in prostitution.

TJ pounded the streets of Shibuya looking for the reasons behind compensated dating.  Miki, a 15-year old junior high school student agreed to speak with us.  “Yes, I have sex with older men for money, but my parents don’t know about it. I haven’t even told my friends.”

TJ: “Can you tell us how you first got into it?”
Miki: “The first time I did it, I had to. I had an ¥80,000 cell phone bill and they were threatening to shut off my phone if I didn’t pay it. I couldn’t tell my parents because they would get angry and make me give up my phone. I decided that since it was my cell phone that got me into this situation, I would have to use it to get me out. Using my cell phone I sent out a few messages to Internet sites where men were looking for young girls to meet. The first two guys paid me ¥50,000 each. However, the second guy was really creepy and after having sex with him I was so stressed and upset that in order to relax, I decided to buy a new wallet, which left me short of money to pay off my phone bill. Because I didn’t want to have to deal with anymore creeps, I promised myself that the next guy would be the last and after paying my phone bill I would never do it again — no matter what. However, he was really young and only had ¥15,000, so I wound up sending more messages to the same Internet site. Before I knew it I had slept with ten or fifteen men.”

TJ:  “So at ¥50,000 per customer, you must have saved over half a million yen by now!”
Miki: “No, the amount I get is different each time and actually I’m totally broke. I really don’t know what I did with the money.”

TJ: “What do you mean? You must have spent it somehow.”
Miki: “Yes, I bought a few designer bags, and some clothes and stuff but the problem is if I use them my parents and friends will ask where I got the money, so I keep them in a locker at the station.”

TJ: “Well, it seems like you don’t have much use for the money, so you can stop now, right?”
Miki: “No, I have to pay my phone bill next week. I owe about ¥95,000 so I will have to meet a few more guys, but this time will be the last, for sure.” 

TJ: “Wouldn’t it be easier just to get a part-time job?”
Miki: “That’s impossible. The school I go to doesn’t allow us to have part-time jobs.”

There are thousands of girls throughout the nation in situations similar to that of Miki. For one reason or another, they saw compensated dating as a way to make quick money. We have learned from those that we have spoken to that it is not always as easy as it appears. TJ recently took a tour around Shibuya to talk with people about their views on compensated dating and school-aged girls’ relationships in general. Obviously, not many of them were willing to divulge their true identities, therefore we have labeled them as A, B, C, etc.

Teachers A & B: Two Japanese female physical education teachers who work at a private all girl junior high and high school in Tokyo.

TJ: “What do you think about the phenomenon of young girls sleeping with middle-aged and elderly men for money?”
Teacher A: “We both think it’s terrible. This is a big problem for many of the students in our classes. They don’t seem to find anything wrong with it and there is not much that we can do to stop it. One girl in my class has had four abortions and she hasn’t even turned 17 yet. When I asked her what the fathers of the babies said, she said she wasn’t sure who they were. Another who is not yet 16 has slept with over 50 men. It is completely out of control.”

TJ: “Don’t teachers have a strong influence over their students? I would think that there would be some way through a Sex Education class or something that you would be able to influence these girls to take a look at some of the dangers involved in compensated dating.”
Teacher B: “Yes, you’re right. Teachers do influence students — not only with their words but also with their actions. One of the problems is that some of the male teachers date the students in our school. You see, young girls tend to fall in love with their male teachers and a lot of these guys take advantage of them. I know that at least one of the teachers invites students to his house for private consultations and it is obvious that he is having sex with them. I am not sure that this problem can be resolved through a Sex Education class. It is a moral issue. In fact, many of these young girls are more experienced sexually than the teachers and seem to have no guilt about what they are doing. Recently, I tried to approach one of my students that I know is selling her body to men. She looked at me and said “Sensei, it is none of your business. When was the last time you had a boyfriend, anyway? What do you know about sex?””

TJ: “Well, at minimum, you should be able to do something about male teachers dating your students. Can’t you report them to the principal?”
Teacher B: “Are you kidding? The principal himself just recently married a college student that was a former student of his, and I probably wouldn’t be around for long if I started making too much noise. In fact, if anyone knew we were telling you this stuff, we would both be fired.”

TJ: “Can you tell just by looking at them which ones are involved in compensated dating?”
Teacher A: “No, not really. They all seem so innocent, but once in a while I will hear the girls talking or I will notice a sudden change in attitude but it is not always obvious. Some of the students that have consulted with me about their involvement with compensated dating seemed to have some kind of stress coming from their home life or relationship with their boyfriends. I would say that it is a social problem that society itself needs to address. The Japanese media is constantly influencing men to go after young girls, so the men give them what they want — money for designer clothes and accessories and the girls give them sex.”

Group C: A group of five college-aged girls at a fast food restaurant.

TJ: “This may be a little difficult as you are a pretty large group, so why don’t we appoint one of you as a spokesperson and you consult with everyone and summarize the views of the group. Okay, have any of you taken part in compensated dating?”
Group C: “No! We’re too old for compensated dating. Compensated dating is only something junior high and high school girls do.”

TJ: “Oh, so you mean college girls don’t sell their bodies for money?”
Group C: “Well, of course some girls do . . . but it’s not called enjo kosai. That’s prostitution.”

TJ: “So are you trying to say that compensated dating is not prostitution? What’s the difference?”
Group C: “Men who hire college girls are just looking for sex but those who are interested in enjo kosai are looking to fulfill their Lolita fantasies.”

TJ: “So have any of you ever had sex for money?”
Group C: “No.” (Unanimously)

TJ: Do you have friends that have?
Group C: “Yes.” (Unanimously)

TJ: “What is the difference between you girls and your friends that have done it?”
Group C: “Well, most of them started by working in a hostess bar and began having sex with the customers from the bar for money. None of us have ever worked in a hostess bar . . . well except for Tomomi. Hey, Tomomi — have you ever done it?”

(Tomomi shakes her head “no” nervously.)

TJ: “I would like to ask you a question on a slightly different topic. What do you think about schoolgirls dating their teachers? Do you girls find anything wrong with it?”
Group C: “Well, it depends how young they are. We thought 14 or under is probably too young to date a teacher, but if they are really in love, it wouldn’t be so bad for a junior high school third grader.”

TJ: “So none of you see a problem with the age difference and the fact that it may influence the teacher to pass the student with a higher grade than she deserves?”
Group C: “The age difference isn’t a problem and it is the teacher’s responsibility to have ethics that allow him to separate his relationship with the student as a teacher and a lover.”

Interviewee D: A 16-year-old high school girl who admitted to engaging in compensated dating

TJ: “So why did you engage in compensated dating?”
D: “Some of my friends are the most popular girls in my school and come from some rich families. They all enjoy collecting designer goods. My family can’t afford such things and some girls at school told me a way I could make some easy money. All I had to do was have sex with some men. I was already having sex with boys anyway, so I figured if I could get money from doing it, I could go shopping and hang out with my friends.”

TJ: “So do you have a lot of brand name goods now?”
D: “No. Actually, I have been selling a lot of them to a second-hand shop because I don’t like the brand I used to collect anymore, but they only pay a little bit of money for second-hand goods. I just started collecting this brand. Do you like my new wallet? I just bought it yesterday.”

Interviewee E: A 19-year-old beauty college student that has been having sex for money with men since she was sixteen.

TJ: “Have you ever had a boyfriend while engaging in compensated dating?”
E: “I started dating men for money during my second year of high school right after my boyfriend broke up with me — he was the one who I lost my virginity to. I wouldn’t do it if I had a boyfriend — that would be rude. The first time, I put a message about myself on an Internet message board and chose a sex partner from the men who wrote to me. It was pretty easy. From the Internet, you can find men who just want dinner, men who want dinner and sex, and those who just want sex, but on most of the dates I had sex. Some of the guys want to give me money, and some of them feel uncomfortable, so they just give me presents. That’s okay, as long as they give me the receipts in case I don’t like them.”

TJ: “Have you saved any money?”
E: “No. I usually spend all of my money on shopping. Then I feel blue and quit doing it for a while. During that time, I always give away all of my stuff because it reminds me of all the bad experiences I have had.”

TJ: “Have there been many bad experiences?”
E: “Too many to talk about and many too bad to even think about.”
 
So, who are the victims and who are the victors in this web of sex, lies and Lolitas? Are the schoolgirls the victors because they are able to earn astronomical amounts of money in a very short time? Or are they the victims because they are selling their souls for designer goods that tomorrow may be out of fashion? Is it the male Johns who are being taken advantage of by these young girls that are experts at manipulating the men into giving them whatever they want or are these men simply getting what they pay for? Could it be that the true victor is behind the scenes — the corporate marketers who have an in-depth knowledge of today’s culture and through marketing research know that these young girls will go to any length to stay in fashion?  Might one philosophy be that the real pimps in this ring of prostitution are the designers and department stores that target and get rich from these young, vulnerable girls?

Who the victims and victors are remains to be answered.  We would like to hear your feedback on this.  Send your comments and opinions to tj@nexxus.co.jp

Did you know . . .

134,282 students were absent from primary and middle schools in Japan for prolonged periods of time exceeding one month during the fiscal year of 2000?

konishiki the gentle giant

Konishiki, The Gentle Giant

From Sumo Champion to Cultural Ambassador

By Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie

The intimidating stance . . . the piercing stare . . . the tremendous strength and power . . . these are the traits that made Salevaa Fuauli Atisanoe one of the most formidable wrestlers in the sport of Sumo. Hailing from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, the colossus who is most widely known by the name Konishiki, was recruited by former Hawaiian Sumo Wrestler Jessie Takamiyama at the age of 18. After graduating from high school, he moved to Japan where he adopted a grueling lifestyle and fought incredible odds to rise to the top of the sport of Sumo. Becoming the first Hawaiian-born wrestler to reach the position of Ozeki (Champion), Konishiki refused to fall prey to the Japanese media despite the controversial denial of his promotion to the ultimate rank of Yokozuna (Grand Champion). Konishiki had clearly left his mark in the history books of Sumo wrestling, not only as one of the first foreigners to excel in the sport of Sumo, but as a champion wrestler who had attained 733 wins prior to his appointment as Stable Master and eventual retirement from the sport in 1997.

When Konishiki announced his retirement, many wondered what would become of the Hawaiian Sumo Wrestler who had opened Sumo’s doors to the West.  Rather than becoming a faded memory and a blurb in the history books, the “retired” Konishiki once again adopted a grueling lifestyle and schedule and fought incredible odds to rise to the heights of stardom.  Konishiki has become one of the most popular foreign celebrities in Japan with regular appearances on variety and game shows as well as in television commercials and advertisements for such companies as Suntory, Sanyo, United Airlines and most recently Visa back in his native homeland of the United States.  From fierce fighter to gentle giant, Konishiki is once again scaling the ranks of another profession. In March 2000, Konishiki debuted his remarkable vocal talents with his first CD and is hoping to top the charts with his second CD entitled “Simply . . .” which is soon to be released.  What’s more, in mid-July, Konishiki will make his acting debut in “Sakura”, a popular NHK television drama series.

While carrying out a hectic schedule of public appearances on television, he has managed to make time in his busy schedule to visit public schools, hospitals, lodging homes and community centers.   Konishiki has managed to keep his goal of helping to make the world a better place foremost in his list of priorities. In 1997, Konishiki established the “Konishiki Kids” Foundation to provide the children of the Waianae Coast of Oahu a chance to experience the Japanese culture that has been an inspiration to Konishiki for the past 20 years.  It is for his work in community service that he was recently granted the Ambassador’s Award distinction by Newport Asia Pacific University of Hawaii. 

TJ recently interviewed Konishiki to find out what the biggest kid on the block is up to.

TJ:  So you’ve made it to the top as a professional athlete, and now as a TV celebrity.  What’s next?
K: Giving back to the community is the most important thing I can do. The kids are what it’s all about. They need someone they can look up to — someone who is doing something with their life. That is why I work so hard in the other areas of my life so that I can lead by example. I came from a rough neighborhood and many of the kids I grew up with wound up in prison. It’s a shame to see the wasted potential. Even if I can make just a little difference, I’ll be happy. If I can save just one kid, it’s all worth it.

TJ: Tell us about your family?
K: Well, I had four brothers and four sisters and I was the second youngest out of all nine children.  My older brothers and sisters were born in Samoa, and only the last three of us were born in Hawaii.   We had a very hard working dad who came to Hawaii to get a better education for his family.  He wasn’t afraid to try and he never let his lack of English stop him from trying.  Now, he’s in his seventies, but he’s still kicking. He’s a  very strong man – both physically and spiritually. 

TJ: What was it like growing up in a big family?
K: My childhood was very rough, but coming from a big family was good, because I had older brothers and sisters to look out for me when my dad wasn’t around. We were very close-knit.  We did everything together – whether it was going to church or just hanging out on the beach.  That’s how Dad wanted it.

TJ: Well it seems your parents did a good job in raising you.  Were they strict?
K: You better believe it.   Samoan people are very traditional and have respect for their elders.  I didn’t get in trouble in school – not because I was afraid of the teachers but because I was afraid of what my father would do to me when I got home. 

TJ: So you came from a traditional Samoan family.  Do you speak the language?
K: Yes, of course.  Thanks to my parents, I speak the language and I know my culture. I plan to teach it to my own children so that they will be able to understand where they came from.

TJ: Oh, so you plan on having your own family? 
K: Yeah, in the future.

TJ: You seem to have great respect for your father.  What’s the most important thing that you learned from your father that will help you as a parent?
K: Family values.  You see, the way it works is, it starts at home.  You gotta teach the kids strong family values.  Those values go out to the community, the state, the country and hopefully – eventually the world.  If you wanna make a difference, you gotta start with the kids and you gotta start in your own back yard.  That’s what I’ve been trying to do with the Konishiki Kids.

TJ: Tell us about the Konishiki Kids Foundation.   How does the program work?
K: I started this program in the Waianae area where I grew up.  So far, we have brought 175 kids to Japan over the past five years.  I want to give them an experience outside of their normal surroundings – an opportunity to experience a different culture and see a different way of life.  Most of all, I want them to realize how important it is to have a dream. The Konishiki Kids get to fly to Japan, visit Disneyland, museums, watch Sumo tournaments, make friends with Japanese kids, ride the bullet train, and experience all that Japan has to offer through all kinds of activities.

TJ: What motivated you to start the Konishiki Kids program?
K: Well, the idea came from my experience in high school.   You see, I went to a high school affiliated with the University of Hawaii.  It was the best thing for me because by catching the bus downtown I got to see an environment outside of my own small community.  I got to meet a lot of people that were very different from me – all with different backgrounds. I learned to appreciate my own people and at the same time respect others.  It was very deep, man. I wanna give the Konishiki Kids the same opportunity that I had.  I want them to know that there is a whole other world out there.

TJ: Obviously, you can’t bring over every single Hawaiian kid.  How do you choose?
K: I wish we could bring them all.  This is the hardest part of the whole thing.  Each year we bring 35 six-graders, five representatives from each of the seven schools along the Waianae Coast.  After reviewing five areas, including grades, work habits, an essay on the meaning of Aloha, a questionnaire, etc. we select representatives from each school to become Konishiki Kids.

TJ: I noticed a picture of Musashimaru with the Konishiki Kids.  Do you get along well with the other Hawaiian wrestlers? 
K: Oh yeah.  Musashimaru is the only local boy left, so we support him.  He’s a very nice guy – low key, outgoing, humble and very funny, but at the same time, very shy.  Akebono and Musashimaru are like my younger brothers.  I took care of them when they first got in.  So now when we talk, they get to buy my dinner. 

TJ: I listened to your first album and really like it.  How seriously are you taking your singing career?
K: To me, my singing career is really just a hobby.   I believe that singing comes from the heart.  If you sing from the heart, the sound just comes.  It’s all about loving what you do.

TJ: Thinking back, if you had a chance to do it all over again, would you have chosen to have stayed in Hawaii, or are you happy here?
K: I have no regrets.  I enjoy myself wherever I am.  That’s my philosophy.  Go happy – go easy. 

Ken Shida President of Shidax ambassador of health

Ambassador of Health X-Treme is a keyword in the U.S. these days whether you are talking about sports, entertainment or even food.  Add the X from X-Treme to Ken Shida’s family name and you get Shidax, Japan’s leading food service and karaoke business started by his father some forty-five years ago.  Shidax has come a long way since then with its new headquarters located in Tokyo’s trend-setting city of Shibuya at Shibuya Shidax Village.

When one hears the name Shidax, many associate the name with karaoke. Although Shidax is #1 in Japan when it comes to karaoke with 300 shops throughout Japan – which is more than double the number of shops of their #2 competitor Big Echo, karaoke is only 40% of their business and Shidax is primarily in the food service industry with more than 3,000 locations throughout Japan. 60% of their business comes from serving food in hospitals, kindergartens, primary, junior high and high schools, colleges, universities, companies, restaurants and nursing homes.

In fact, Shidax is fifth in Japan’s food service industry behind McDonald’s, Skylark, Hoka Hoka Tai, and Yoshinoya.   However, what separates Shidax from a hamburger shop, family restaurant, bento (take-out lunch box) and beef bowls?  According to Ken Shida, President of Shidax, health is their main priority and their slogan says it all – “Mother Food”.  According to Shida, “When a mother chooses food for her children, she chooses food differently than the way most husbands would. She is more concerned about health.  People often say you have to eat at home if you want to eat healthy, but as you know, this is almost impossible to do every day due to our lifestyles and we often have to eat out at restaurants so that we can enjoy life. 
Therefore, our concept is to take the same care in preparing food that your mother would.” 

From providing food to people ranging from infants to the elderly, Shidax takes great responsibility because for many, his food is the first nutrition that a child gets when he/she is born in a hospital, and the last meal that an elderly person may eat in a nursing home. “In 10 or 20 years from now which will be 60 years from when Shidax started, there may be customers who ate Shidax food from the beginning to the end”. 

According to Shida, it is important to have a good balance of food, exercise, rest and relaxation, and mental health.  Whether it comes to serving healthy food or releasing stress through singing in a Shidax karaoke room, Ken Shida is the Ambassador of Health. Senior Editor Dr. Anthony Al-Jamie visited Shibuya Shidax Village to meet with this bilingual socially responsible business leader.

AA: You have a beautiful location here. Why did you choose Shibuya?

KS: To be successful in business, you need to have a good brand name and image. Shidax needs both a healthy and innovative image. Every day Shidax is changing and I think Shibuya is one of the largest markets for both food and karaoke, and its speed of change is faster than any other city. Also, very different types of people gather in Shibuya. It is very interesting because different cultures are divided by different streets and these cultures change every 10 years. You can find people of all ages walking the streets of Shibuya depending on which street you are on. Therefore it makes for an excellent testing ground for our various restaurants, allowing us to analyze the needs of each generation.

AA:  So do you do a lot of market research?
KS:  Yes, we have invested in the IT industry because we want to have a direct connection with every customer.  We now have more than 14 million members and we keep individual data on how they use our karaoke rooms, as well as what kind of food they like.  We then arrange our menus according to this data. We have 6  restaurants in the area such as the one on the first floor of this building and each restaurant has a different theme focused on a different target market.  I personally go to each of these restaurants and try different things on the menus so that I can not only check on our own restaurants, but also personally observe our clientele and see what trends are happening.  We are a very meeting-oriented company.  Every other week I gather my supervisors and conduct the meetings myself, and every Friday night you can find me on the 1st floor gathering information from people in my restaurant.

AA: What type of people do you meet here?
KS: Many types – people from the IT industry, singers, venture capitalists, models….First we gather on the second floor for a lecture to learn something new, and then we drink and have a good time.  The rule is that you can bring your friends but they have to be people who want to learn something or gain something out of life, and not someone who wants to sell their product.  I don’t want to meet salespeople. 

AA: You place great importance on health.  Why do you serve food like karage (fried chicken)?
KS: We try to buy good ingredients and are concerned about oil. We are not going to deprive people of the pleasure of eating their favorite food.  We watch what people want to eat and if they want to eat food like fried chicken, we will serve it, but then we will arrange the plate so that it is accompanied by salad to provide balance.

AA: Is your management style different from that of your father?
KS: Yes.  I worked for Saga Corporation which was #1 in the world for catering.  I tried to bring their system to Japan, but nobody listened.  I wanted to create a chain system in the Japanese food catering industry, but I faced a lot of resistance trying to do an American style of business here.  Now people recognize the need for it and we have finally been able to do this in the last 2 or 3 years. 

AA: Has your MBA been helpful?
KS: Yes, it helped a lot.  I began my career by washing dishes and learning all aspects of the food service industry in both Japan and the U.S. I started my MBA when I was 35 years old, after I had been working for this company for 10 years.  In my MBA program I could meet many globally minded business people from different fields and we imagined about the future.  This experience inspired me to get into the IT industry, which has really helped our company with market research.   I was Vice-President when I entered the MBA program.  I knew I was going to be President and I wanted to create my own style.  I decided that a new age president needs to have three faces – the management expert, socially responsible leader and academic.   My MBA provided me with a lot of information and I learned that you have to have new and innovative ideas combined with management skills to make a successful company. The Internet provides us with a lot of information that anyone can access, but it is important to know how to use that information and that is why you need to have an academic side. In turn I am trying to educate my employees and have begun a series of Marketing classes which we hold downstairs on Saturdays.  Finally, I learned about social responsibility and that is why we are trying to serve social needs. 

AA: Why is solving society’s problems important?
KS: Because when I get to God’s door, God will judge me. 

AA: Are you Christian?
KS: Well, my great grandfather was a Buddhist monk and my mother is Christian.  I am in between.  

AA: Your father started the business.  Is he still active in Shidax?
KS: Not as much as he used to be.  He is very involved in new business creation and socially responsible activities. 

AA: Do you have a close relationship with him? 
KS: Yes, he comes to my office every other week and we meet for 2 or 3 hours. 

AA: You are lucky to have such a good mentorship!
KS: Yes, he is 70 years old.  Usually people in their 70s want to do other things, but I think his aim is broader than most.  He wants to climb to a higher place.  That is why he let me run this company.  He wants to climb to another field. 

AA: Do you ever get scared?
KS: Every night.  Every day.

AA: Do you get scared about your business?
KS: Yes.  I ask myself, “What is God thinking about me?  Will this business still exist in the future?  Will my concept and strategy be good for people in the future?”Ken Shida, the Ambassador of Health is a business leader trying to make a difference.  With more socially responsible entrepreneurs entering the world of business in Japan we can expect to live in a better world.