Prostitution in Asian countries
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Aren't these all outcomes (exaggerated in places) of Western influence brought over to Japan since the 2nd world war?
No, prostitution in Asian countries has existed for a long time on a large scale. Overt sexual symbols in the media promoted more flexible attitudes towards sex in the West, but not prostitution. Many women in the West do have sex freely, but that doesn't make them whores.
The phenomenon of enjo kosai cannot be blamed on the West. If this were the case we would hear of Western teenage girls prostituting themselves in large numbers, but this isn't happening. In America, nobody respects a *****. A teenage girl who prostituted herself would automatically lose status no matter how fancy her clothes and accessories are. And the US is the most materialistic country in the world. Enjo kosai results from more lax attitudes towards prostitution in the East, which reflects the lower status of women there.
Giving it further thought...
Thinking of it from another perspective, whatever people may say about religion (Christian in general), whether you believe or you don't or you don't know, I'm glad that I live in a nation where it is. Although a lot of people aren't "Christians" in the strictest sense and I hesistate to use the term for myself because of how loosely it is used, I think that it (as well as other religions) provides kind of moral guidelines, almost like a list of instructions. I've known a lot of people who've rarely followed them, but even so they know right from wrong from what they've been taught, whether they follow it or not. So I can better understand the reason for something like enjo kosai happening only because I realize that the religious and moral standpoints vary from country to country. I hate to say I "understand" it, because I certainly don't agree with it. When I hear about stuff like that happening I just wish that people would stop and realize that they're worth so much more than any dollar (or yen) amount. Ah well... :worried: