Porn bosses apologise after three arrested for forcing women into sex acts

Porn industry bosses in Japan have issued a formal apology and promised to change following allegations that women have been forced to perform sex acts on film against their will. It comes after the arrest of three talent scouts accused of coercing a woman to perform in more than 100 films over several years. The Intellectual Property Promotion Association, which represents Japan’s adult film industry, said in a statement it will “encourage producers to take action to quickly improve the situation and restore the soundness of the entire industry”. While the high-profile case sparked the industry’s response, campaigners say the practice is more widespread and welcomed the apology as “the first of its kind”.

The association deeply regrets that we had failed to take initiatives (to deal with problem before). We are very sorry

The Intellectual Property Promotion Association

Police arrested the three men earlier this month, including a 49-year-old executive at Tokyo-based agency Marks Japan, on suspicion of violating the country’s labour laws. The talent agency pressed the victim to perform in adult videos by allegedly warning her that she had to pay penalties for breach of contract if she refused, local media have reported. The unnamed woman thought she was going to be working as a model. Pornography is widely available in Japan, but the dark side of the industry is seldom discussed openly and the rights of those who work in it even less so.

The remaining 20% and some illegal porn producers need to comply with the rules, which would require the government to take action,

Anti-trafficking campaigner Shihoko Fujiwara targets film-makers not in the IPPA

Asia-Pacific