Police raid 'blind-date cafe' in Tokyo, taking 31 high school, college girls into custody

Japan Today
Thursday 29th May, 10:02 AM JST
Source: http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/police-raid-blind-date-cafe-in-tokyo-taking-high-school-and-college-girls-into-custody

TOKYO — Police on Wednesday raided a so-called “blind-date cafe” in Ikebukuro for violation of a law related to the operation of “date clubs.” Thirty-one high school and college girls were taken into custody, police said, adding this was the first investigation into the activities of such cafes.

The cafes, where men and women meet each other at random and hang out afterward, are a new type of date club. However, police said that blind-date cafes have become venues for prostitution by minors.

According to police, there are more than 100 blind-date cafes operating nationwide where men pay women to meet them, usually arranged on the Internet. A loophole in the Child Welfare Law prevents police from arresting the owners of the cafes because they argue they are just providing a place for people to meet up.