OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested two 16-year-old girls over the alleged illegal employment of other minors at a specialty hostess club in Miyakojima Ward, reports Jiji Press (Dec. 6).
Between September 1 and 11, the suspects, who served as the shop manager and assistant, allegedly employed a 13-year-old girl at club Himawari, located in the Katamachi area, to provide entertainment, including the serving of alcohol, to male customers.
The suspects, who have been accused of violating the Child Welfare Act, admit to the allegations. Police also arrested the 32-year-old owner of the club, Tomoya Matsuda. He denies the charges, telling police he only served as driver for the girls.
According to police, Matsuda accumulated an average of 1 million yen in revenue since opening Himawari in November of last year. Prior to closing in October of this year, the club employed at least nine girls, aged between 13 and 16.
Himawari was a so-called “girl’s bar,” which is an establishment licensed for drinking but offers services nearly equivalent to that of an adult-entertainment club.
The shop manager solicited acquaintances to work at the parlor. The employees served as street touts who earned an average of 30,000 yen per month, police said.
