Japanese Young Women Relying on “Papa-katsu” to Make Ends Meet
While sugar daddies have been around forever, the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 has caused some women to become dependent upon papa-katsu, the Japanese word for “cultivating a sugar daddy.”
To make ends meet during the ongoing economic crisis brought on by the global pandemic, there are indications that more and more young women in Japan—particularly college students who are short on cash—are reluctantly resorting to the practice of papa-katsu (パパ活), the Japanese word for “cultivating a sugar daddy.” Let us take a closer look at exactly what is papa-katsu, who is doing it, how the coronavirus has aggravated the problem, and parallels overseas.
What does this word mean?
Papa-katsu is a euphemism for the relationship between an older gentleman and, in general, a young woman or a juvenile girl which develops after an exchange of money from the man for companionship from the woman. This type of transaction often leads to prostitution. In this case “papa” means “sugar daddy” or an older gentleman. Occasionally the direct translation shu-ga-da (シュガダ) is used. “Katsu” means “activity.” The phrase is sometimes shortened down to p-kei (P系), meaning “related to papa-katsu.” The more direct Japanese term for it is enjo-kosai (援助交際). The watered-down word papa-katsu has, however, been gaining traction in the Japanese language, possibly because it seems to sound softer to the ear and, therefore, somehow more socially acceptable.
Women scouting for potential sugar daddies often start out innocently enough. Many begin while still in high school. A special investigative report that recently aired on the Japanese web-based news channel Abema News found that for many young women papa-katsu peaks at the end of their teens into their early 20s—especially among college students. A plethora of on-line dating sites now makes it easier than ever for Generation Z to hook up with a potential sugar daddy.
Why would a young woman try papa-katsu?
For many young women in Japan life can change dramatically upon entrance into a university. The pressure of entrance exams is over. Many experience a true sense of freedom for the first time. Often it is the first time to really let loose and party, a habit which can be costly in Tokyo. Some resort to papa-katsu.
Kaori, a twenty-two year old fourth year college student (pseudonym to protect her identity), interviewed by Bengoshi (Lawyers) Dot Com in a recent story carried by Yahoo News Japan, explained that she started papa-katsu in the summer following her first year at college. At that point she had just started clubbing and was racking up high entertainment expenses. Kaori had trouble managing her own finances and always seemed short on cash. She tried doing a regular part-time job to cover her new expenses, but Kaori was frustrated with the low pay and had difficulty waiting to get paid until the following month. Kaori found, however, that she could get paid right away with papa-katsu. It did not take long for her to get hooked.
Relatively high earnings potential
In the vernacular of Generation Z, papa-katsu makes it relatively easy “to make bank” almost immediately. Riko, another twenty-two year old fourth year college student (pseudonym to protect her identity) interviewed by Abema News, explained,
“I mainly met two men on-line. For each date I earned 10,000 JPY ($95) from one and 15,000 JPY ($140) from the other. Before long I was racking up about 50,000 yen ($475) a month just to make conversation over dinner.”
For Riko these relationships did not stop with a meal.
Quid pro quo of trading favors for sex
It certainly does not take a stretch of the imagination to realize that one thing will often lead to another, and such a relationship may escalate quickly in which favors and cash are traded for sex. There are numerous reports of young women pressured by their sugar daddies to go well beyond just going out for a meal and conversation. Riko disclosed,
“It did not take long for both of my sugar daddies to ask for a physical relationship which finally crossed the line.”
She subsequently started to earn substantially more money. Riko ended up tripling the level of her financial “support” from these two clients to reach between 100,000 to 150,000 JPY ($950 to $1,400) per month.
Kaori reported even more lucrative earnings. She explained,
“I met about 70 sugar daddies during the past two years and got paid an average of between 20,000 to 40,000 JPY per date ($190 to $380). One time I even earned 150,000 JPY ($1,420). Once during a holiday weekend I met three people at different times on the same day and made 60,000 JPY ($570) on that day alone.”
Especially compared to a peer who may toil for hours at a monotonous part-time job only to take home a few thousand JPY ($30) for a 3 to 4 hour shift, it is easy to see how young women who receive large amounts of cash from their sugar daddies have trouble stopping.
Is it legal?
This is somewhat of a gray zone which, naturally, depends upon the age of the young woman and whether the relationship with her sugar daddy involves sex in exchange for payment. If a girl is under the age of 18, then she would be considered a child victim, based upon the national Child Welfare Act which dates from 1947. It defines the "causing" of a person under age 18 of either gender to perform an "obscene act" as a punishable offense. Case law has since determined that the scope of "causing" may include direct physical contact, indirect pressure, or psychological stress. “Obscene acts" are not limited only to intercourse. A further complication is the fact that at present the age of legal adulthood is still 20. It is, however, scheduled to drop to age 18 from April 1, 2022.
Why do young women and girls do it?
Like Kaori explained, some young women find that a change in lifestyle sometimes necessitates higher expenses related to entertainment, clothing, beauty products, and even plastic surgery. Papa-katsu seems, moreover, to be a vicious cycle. Sugar daddies often expect their dates to look good and dress well. Such expenses start to add up after a while.
Alternative job options simply do not pay as well and require long hours. Especially compared to many entry-level part-time jobs which pay at or only slightly above the minimum wage, papa-katsu is lucrative. While this rate varies by prefecture, on average the minimum wage in Japan is only 902 JPY (approximately US $8.50) per hour.
There is, therefore, almost no comparison to the kind of money which papa-katsu yields.
The coronavirus has only made it that much harder for young women to earn money at entry level positions. Many can no longer even find employment. After the first state of emergency declared in April 2020, 740,000 women lost their jobs. That was twice the number of unemployed men at that time.
In addition, national television channel Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reports that during the last twelve months one in four women has been affected by employment issues including unemployment, requests to take a leave of absence, and being pressured to reduce their working hours. As the pandemic has disproportionately affected women, many have reverted to papa-katsu simply to make ends meet.
The consequences can be severe.
Physical danger
It is common for the women who practice papa-katsu to be threatened by their sugar daddies. In the most egregious cases they are physically assaulted. Kaori clarified that she has been told,
“Don't you trust me! You know what I’ll do to you if I get angry.”
Anecdotal reports indicate that the older the sugar daddy, the less likely they are willing to use condoms and the more likely they are to make trouble for their “dates.” Sometimes they refuse to pay. Kaori went on to say,
"I had trouble with about 40% of the seventy men that I ‘dated.’"
She learned quickly to ask for payment in advance.
In addition to the dangers of having unprotected sex, women who engage in papa-katsu run the risk of exposure. In one instance Kaori was filmed without giving her permission while having sexual intercourse with a sugar daddy. To this day she is worried that the video will surface on the web.
Warped sense about the value of money
As working for a sugar daddy pays comparatively well, many of the young women caught up in this trap now have a warped sense about the value of money. Kaori admitted,
"The money is really good when converted to an hourly rate. I have lost a sense for just how much work should be necessary to earn a decent wage. As a result, I can no longer work a regular part-time job with a normal hourly wage."
Riko says, as well, that she can no longer work at a regular part-time job such as retail sales which often requires 7 to 8 hours of standing each day. Riko admitted,
“Even if you don't do your best (while dating a sugar daddy), you can earn lots of money." She went on to say, "My values have changed. I forgot how to work hard; I don't care about money anymore.”
What do their families think?
While many of the women practicing papa-katsu probably choose to keep this facet of their lives a secret from their families, some like Riko, who lives at home with her parents, confess to their mothers. She commented,
"I told my mother a long time ago just after I started papa-katsu. She was, of course, surprised at first and counseled, ‘Don't do it, as it's dangerous.’ Because money is tight during the ongoing pandemic, lately my mother just keeps apologizing to me for the family’s dire financial situation which has forced me to derive income from sugar daddies.”
It seems, though, that the fathers of most women like Riko are typically kept in the dark. She confirmed,
“My father still doesn't know anything."
Parallels overseas
Perhaps the quintessential sugar daddy from Western culture is Hugh Hefner, the late founder of Playboy Enterprises.
No matter how old he got, it seemed as though Hugh was always surrounded by beautiful, young women. It got particularly creepy toward the end of his life, as he continued to cavort with women who could have easily been the same age as one of his grandchildren. Millions of men were, however, inspired by Hugh’s persona of sexual magnetism combined with ostensibly eternal youth.
While the reality may, in fact, be more like what seems to be the case in Japan where one young woman simultaneously cultivates relationships with multiple sugar daddies, in the West it is commonly believed that a sugar daddy normally supports only one woman. The image of a typical sugar daddy in the West is of a middle-aged to elderly, financially well-off man who develops a “special,” long-term relationship with only one younger woman. She is sometimes called a “sugar baby.” This word is used in the U.S. to identify the young woman who benefits from a sugar daddy.
In exchange for companionship, the level of financial support can be significant. Sometimes it may, for example, involve supplementing her tuition for college or rent.
Having a sugar daddy has almost become a socially acceptable means of earning some extra income. Insider reported that a significant number of public school teachers have become sugar babies to supplement their income. According to the sugar baby and daddy matching website Seeking Arrangement (https://www.seeking.com/), which was founded in 2006, 10,000 of their registered sugar babies out of 8 million self-identify as an educator. According to statistics published on this site, the average American sugar baby collects approximately $2,800 (almost 300,000 JPY) per month or $33,600 (3.55 million JPY) per year from their dates. That is enough to boost by 1/3 the average public school teacher’s salary in the U.S.
There are also dedicated websites that claim to teach sugar babies how to maximize their earning potential. Let’s Talk Sugar (https://www.letstalksugar.com/sugar-101/) is basically a do-it-yourself guide for sugar babies to develop a relationship with a sugar daddy who provides a stable monthly allowance. This site offers several “101 level courses” designed to teach sugar babies the basics of how to milk their sugar daddies for all that they can afford.
There is, however, a certain social stigma associated with being a sugar baby that is similar to how this practice is scorned in Japan. The underlying belief is that any sort of financial transaction between a sugar baby and sugar daddy must involve prostitution. The matching sites go out of their way, though, to deny that their clients engage in prostitution. Seeking Arrangement stipulates in all CAPs that it
"PROHIBITS ANY UNLAWFUL USE OF THE SITE, INCLUDING ESCORTING, PROSTITUTION, AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING."
Nobody, though, really believes this disclaimer.
High profile controversy of the late Jeffrey Epstein
The image of a sugar daddy has, though, recently taken a hit due to the widely publicized controversy surrounding the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. He had, apparently, a number of sugar babies on his payroll and a particular penchant for very young women and under-age girls whom he invited to his various properties around the world. It was his involvement with under-age girls that eventually got him in trouble with the law.
A way out?
Both Kaori and Riko professed during their interviews that deep down they realize that what they are doing is wrong. They say that they want to stop. Many are, however, addicted to the money and may be confused about how to wean themselves off of papa-katsu. 20 year old Miu-chan, who keeps an on-line diary of her experiences with papa-katsu, tweeted,
“I want to quit papa-katsu. Please, though, tell me how to be happy without having money. I am obsessed with cash. I don’t even know what it means.”
The coronavirus and its accompanying economic downturn are simply making it that much more difficult for young women like Kaori, Riko and Miu-chan to make good on their desire to stop. With Japan on the verge of beginning a nation-wide vaccination campaign, only time will tell whether papa-katsu will, in fact, decline in the near future.
Links to Sources:
https://times.abema.tv/news-article/8647017
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0ca02578da93faf27ef48f139c6a2809315e4f42
https://www.nhk.or.jp/gendai/comment/0020/topic004.html
https://www.insider.com/teachers-are-increasingly-becoming-sugar-babies-to-supplement-salary-2019-10
https://nypost.com/2019/07/28/city-teachers-flood-sugar-daddy-site-for-extra-income/
Hi Mark, I'm going through some of your old articles - fascinating stuff here.
I wonder if you have written any further on this recently? There is the ongoing case of the “job recruiting site” blatantly recruiting Japanese women for s*x work in America and Beijing (I archived the site here: https://web.archive.org/web/20240404101207/https://d-charme.com/top/ ), as well as the alleged murder of the "紀州 Don Juan" by one of the many women he was keeping.
By the way, as of today the Twitter account of the sugar baby you linked is still active and she's still "in the game", as it were...
Excellent research and clear explanation. I've known some women who engaged in this, and it definitely is a vicious cycle that is easy to get into.