大象传媒

Stacey Dooley explores Japan's problem with the sexualisation of children. From bars where men pay to meet schoolgirls to suggestive pictures of very young children and comic books featuring child rape, the country has faced global criticism for its attitudes. It was only three years ago that possessing genuine child pornography was finally made illegal. Stacey travels to Tokyo to look into what effect the law banning child porn has had and to see if the attitude towards the sexualisation of children has changed. Stacey discovers a culture where sexual images of young girls are widespread and used for commercial gain. Her first stop is a legal Tokyo 'JK' cafe in which school-aged girls are paid to provide company to older men - who tell her that it is perfectly normal to talk about sex and hold hands with girls as young as 15 dressed in school uniform. Stacey uncovers an even more disturbing legal grey area exists in Japan called Chako Ero, where children as young as six are filmed or photographed in erotic clothing. She speaks to a producer of these films as well as a self-confessed paedophile to try and discover just why some Japanese culture seems to encourage inappropriate exploitation and sexualisation of children. Following the law change, the documentary examines what else Japan is doing to stop normalising the sexualisation of children. Stacey meets volunteers from a charity trying to help vulnerable girls, as well as the Head of the Juvenile Section at the National Police to find what they are doing to protect young girls.