Japan is far from being the only place with a problem of sexualising children. Many Japanese think that sexually objectifying young girls is not taboo but rather "just falls into a grey zone," said Goto. Lawyer Keiji Goto, who campaigns for minors' rights, says the problem is a social one. Quasi-pornographic "chaku-ero", or clothed eroticism - images of small children posing in tiny swimsuits - are easily found on the Internet, slipping through a legal loophole. Police have failed to stamp out so-called JK (Joshi Kosei, or high school girls) businesses, which offer men services such as going for a walk with a teenage girl so the customers have a chance to negotiate for sex. The number of minors abused in child pornography has risen five-fold in the past decade, according to official figures.
Japan's battle against paedophilia is well documented. "It must be a bizarre sight" for foreigners, admits Himeno but she stresses any sexual advances are an absolute "no-no." 'NOT NORMAL' It can be a pathway to fame, as demonstrated by Japan's AKB48 band, one of the most successful acts of all time, who started in a small stage in Tokyo's Akihabara, with the youngest member aged 11.īut getting a foothold into the idol scene means the child has to interact with adult fans, taking photos together and autographing the backs of their t-shirts. Yamazaki, 26, herself played in a band as a teenager and sees her daughter's performances as a way into the popular and lucrative world of idols. What Ai is doing is not much different," she says, despite the audience for idol shows being mainly adult males. In magazines, children are modelling clothes.
"On television, you see kids acting in dramas and commercials.
Ai's mother, Mami Yamazaki, says her daughter has wanted to be an "idol" singer since she watched an anime cartoon about young girls striving for stardom.
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