Imagine walking down the streets of Japan one day, and then you bump into someone trying to talk to you. Bear in mind, he might actually be asking if you are willing to work in the adult video (AV) industry. Such things happen all the time – AV scouts actively seeking potential porn actresses across the country.  

 

The Japanese AV industry is extremely developed, and it is one of the main industries driving the national economy. A large number of adult magazines and comic books are also available in bookstores, pharmacies and convenience stores. Equivalent to the UK’s corner shops, there are roughly 50,000 convenience stores in Japan.

 

However, with the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese government is prohibiting headhunting and sales of adult magazines in convenience shops to prevent adverse effects they may have on their international image.

 

Japan’s top three convenience store chains – Lawson, FamilyMart and 7-Eleven – will take down their signature adult magazines by the end of August, upon the expected arrival of millions of tourists for their forthcoming sports events.

 

As of now, only seven per cent of Lawson stores have stopped selling such magazines; approximately only 2,000 out of 16,000 FamilyMart shops have taken them down; 7-Eleven are leaving it up to individual store managers to make the final call.

 

Will the decision of shutting out these ‘traditions’ work to avoid negative impressions forming among foreign visitors?

 

Mizuki Lee, a cultural commentator, thinks it will not make much difference: “The number of bookstores and pharmacies far outnumber convenience stores, so if tourists visit any pharmacies, they will still be available. It’s just a way of hiding themselves from plain view.”