Smut has been a near recession-proof industry in Japan, despite the country's decade-long economic slump. All told, the nation spends an estimated 1.7 trillion yen (US$13.9 billion) a year on sex...Increased competition amid the economic doldrums means the sex clubs are resorting to wilder antics, younger women and cheaper prices.
But hard times are putting the squeeze on the sleaze. Pricey soaplands, where hourly stints soar to 100,000 yen (US$820), are giving way to the fast-growing sectors of low-end "pink salons" and cut-rate foreign prostitutes. Cheap thrills there go for as low as 8,000 yen (US$66)...
