Authentic Japan Airline outfits sell for as much as £11,000 on the black market. They are in high demand for sex role play.

New Japan Airlines (JAL) uniforms have long been in demand in the local sex industry for customers keen on role-playing fantasies, while rare specimens that have actually been worn are hugely sought after by fetishists and are worth their weight in gold.

Countless shops will sell a very credible imitation for a few thousand yen, but the real thing can fetch a fortune. Historically, says Yu Teramoto, the owner of a specialist costumier in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, real JAL outfits have been virtually impossible for buyers to lay their hands on. However, the post-bankruptcy prospect of huge layoffs at JAL — especially among uniform-wearing air-crew — raises the prospect that former staff will attempt to sell their outfits for a profit.

"It is hard to say but it is at moments of confusion and anger like this that the black market for uniforms should do well," he said.