Number of sex-related businesses in Japan 2018-2023, by type
In 2023, the most common business type operating in the Japanese sex industry were the almost 22.54 thousand non-store based service providers, such as call girls or delivery services for sex toys and adult-only items
While prostitution is officially illegal in Japan, the domestic adult entertainment industry took advantage of legal loopholes to work around this ban. Businesses falling under the category of adult entertainment include, among others, adult-only bathhouses, strip clubs, massage services, love hotels as well as video- and phone-based services.