A crackdown on Japan’s pornography industry may be changing practices that prompted complaints of human rights violations.

Earlier this month, Tokyo Metro Police arrested executives of a well-known talent agency on suspicion of coercing an actress to engage in sex on camera. A human rights group had charged that such coercion was common in the industry.

Since then, the Intellectual Property Promotion Assn., which represents 80% of Japan’s adult film industry, has formally apologized. In a news release about the arrests, the association acknowledged the existence of coercion in the industry and added, “We deeply reflect upon not doing anything to address the problems on our own. We are very sorry.”

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The organization pledged to work with human rights groups to improve working conditions and bring an end to forced labor and other human rights violations.

Human Rights Now, a nonprofit organization based in Tokyo, issued a report on the problem in March, with an English translation now available.

Kazuko Ito, a lawyer and secretary general of Human Rights Now, said Tuesday: “The IPPA statement is a positive move, although right now it is still just words. We really hope that they will seriously take into account the criticism, the existence of human rights violations, and strive to improve the industry.”

Adelstein is a special correspondent.


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