"2023年に保護された人身取引の被害者は女性51人、男性10人－人身取引対策推進会議," 6 August 2024

The government's Council for the Promotion of Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons has published an annual report summarising the situation regarding human trafficking through sexual exploitation, such as forced prostitution, and labour exploitation that was recognised and protected in 2023, as well as the status of countermeasures.

In 2023, the number of victims of human trafficking who were taken into custody by the police or the Immigration Services Agency of Japan increased by 15 from the previous year to 61, including 51 women and 10 men. By nationality, 50 were Japanese and 11 were Filipino (9 with "entertainer" status and 2 with "technical intern trainees" status). Of the victims, 37 were under the age of 18, all of whom were Japanese.

With regard to the forms of trafficking, 48 people were victims of sexual exploitation, nine were forced to work as hostesses, and four were victims of other types of labour exploitation.

...The trafficking of Filipinos included cases where they had their passports withheld and were forced to work as hostesses despite coming to Japan as dancers on "entertainment" visas, and wage theft cases of technical intern trainees...