More than a year later, she is still in debt and resorting to sex work to pay her bills. But now she would have to repay him – with sex work the only way to raise the cash. Yu is one of hundreds of women coerced to sell their bodies after frequenting Japan’s so-called “host clubs,” experts told CNN. Of those detained, 40% told police they were soliciting to repay debts run up at host clubs, NHK reported. “It’s a romance scam, basically,” said Ayaka Shiomura, a member of Japan’s upper house of parliament, who has unsuccessfully pushed for better safeguards against exploitative host clubs.

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Persons: Tokyo CNN — Yu, she’d, Yu, ’ ”, “, ” Yu, Daniel Campisi, Behrouz Meheri, ”, Ayaka Shiomura, Mikami Rui, ” Mikami Rui, Hidemori, Gen, Shiomura, “ let’s, ” –, ‘, ’ ” Yu, –, Rui, “ I’m Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Getty, Tokyo, NHK, Asahi Shimbun, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Locations: Japan’s, Kabukicho, Tokyo, AFP, Japan, Okinawa, Macao, Hong Kong