Man fatally slashes 18-year-old female employee at bar in Tokyo

Barring extenuating circumstances (and it's hard to think of any likely ones), this creep should hang.

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WHY?

Before I even clicked on the article, I guessed that the perpetrator would've been a man in the 40s-50s range....

Let me guess even more. He's single, still living with his parents and either unemployed/in a low paying job? And he's angry at women for his failures in life and as a man?

RIP to the poor young girl and I hope that he reserves the harshest of sentences for taking her life away.

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Wow, brutal. No excuse for this. RIP young girl.

he's single, still living with his parents and either unemployed/in a low paying job and he's angry at women for his failures in life and as a man

all that may well be true, but maybe the reason for the above is that this man would, at 49-years-old, have already spent a significant amount of time in prison. 

carrying a small knife and being willing to use it is probably how he survived his previous prison-term.

the sad fact is that there are many people out there who like it in prison, prefer it in prison, and can't wait to go back...

lock him up and throw away the key!!

I wish we could protect our children from these animals. But I am afraid that the best we can do is to teach them to be more careful with strangers. What a horrible story.

obladi

I wish we could protect our children from these animals. But I am afraid that the best we can do is to teach them to be more careful with strangers. What a horrible story.

Well, she did work in the bar, so by definition she had to deal with strangers. Sadly, I don´t think there is a magical way to be safe from homicidal crazy persons.

One can assume that 18-year-old in Shimbashi had a "handler" that is affiliated. The assailant is not going to like prison

travelbangaijin

One can assume that 18-year-old in Shimbashi had a "handler" that is affiliated. The assailant is not going to like prison

No. No "handler" needed to work in a girls bar, and he will go to prison. Wait til he is sentenced and see.

Let's see, 49 year old axxhole drinks for hours with calmly young thing pouring his drinks. At closing time he comes on to her and gets rejected so he slashes her.

Sound about right?

Zaphod - I suggest you walk around Shimbashi after midnight, the dressed up and hooded guys hanging around are not there socializing about their golf swing

travelbangaijin

Zaphod - I suggest you walk around Shimbashi after midnight, the dressed up and hooded guys hanging around are not there socializing about their golf swing

Actually, I have walked around Shimbashi after midnight, and did not notice any particular dressed up guys, although I am sure there are. So what? How does that mean the girl had a "handler"?

How and why are speculations and not facts. The guy murdered the woman and was arrested. How and why is irrelevant at this time. We may find that out later.

I think a few of you are confusing "girls bars" with "hostess bars"

I have been to quite a few girls bars with friends. The barmaids do not sit with customers, they do not hustle drinks. They will sometimes drink if offered but they are just regular drinks at regular prices.

The drink prices in girls bars are reasonable.

The barmaids do not have "handlers"

EugeneToday 09:13 am JST

I think a few of you are confusing "girls bars" with "hostess bars"

I have been to quite a few girls bars with friends. The barmaids do not sit with customers, they do not hustle drinks. They will sometimes drink if offered but they are just regular drinks at regular prices.

The drink prices in girls bars are reasonable.

The barmaids do not have "handlers"

Regardless, the girls are being groomed for sex work. It's still an extremely misogynistic and unsafe business for young women to work in, and patronizing those places allows them to continue to flourish. It's just shameful that men go to these places, when these girls should be at home doing their homework, chatting with friends, playing sports, chilling at home with a movie ... instead of catering to the pedophilic fantasies of men old enough to be their fathers.

girl_in_tokyo

Regardless, the girls are being groomed for sex work. It's still an extremely misogynistic and unsafe

Nonsense. I know several girls who work part-time in girls bars, and there is nothing shady going on there. Is is all about looking cute, sing karaoke, and getting the customers spend another 3000 yen or so to stay another hour.

That is not to say that some girls might have other issues and be involved in other things, but that has nothing to do with the concept of "girls bars". It seems some people here let their imagination run wild.

ZaphodToday 01:58 pm JST

Nonsense. I know several girls who work part-time in girls bars, and there is nothing shady going on there. Is is all about looking cute, sing karaoke, and getting the customers spend another 3000 yen or so to stay another hour.

That is not to say that some girls might have other issues and be involved in other things, but that has nothing to do with the concept of "girls bars". It seems some people here let their imagination run wild.

What about "catering to the desires of pedophile men" was difficult to understand? Do you actually need someone to explain to you why men shouldn't patronize cafes that have young girls as a feature?

And yes, they are grooming these girls for sex work, because working in a cafe where you serve drinks to men where the entire purpose is to provide men with young girls to talk to and look at and perv over is sex work.

Girl bars are sex work

Hostess bars are also sex work

And all too often, girls who are groomed from a young age to do sex work wind up dependent on sex work to make a living, and end up in abusive situations or are even murdered, as the poor girl in the article was.

Sex work is inherently dangerous, particularly for the very young, and I wish that it wasn't so normalized in Japanese society to the point where there are men actually arguing that it ISN'T sex work.

@Eugene

I would refer to her as a “girl” or a “young lady” and not a “young thing”.

Pretty creepy expression.

girl_in_tokyo

What about "catering to the desires of pedophile men" was difficult to understand?

She was 18. Nothing to do with "pedophilia"?

Do you actually need someone to explain to you why men shouldn't patronize cafes that have young girls as a feature?

Because men tend to like young women. What in the world is strange about that? Would it permissible in your mind for men go to cafes where the only staff are old men?

And yes, they are grooming these girls for sex work, because working in a cafe where you serve drinks to men

Who is "they"? Girls bar jobs very straight forward, not related to shady sex businesses. Honestly, your comments sound like someone has time-travelled here from the Victorian England era.

No one working in any bar should be attacked and killed with a knife. This guy deserves a very long stay in prison.

And yes, they are grooming these girls for sex work, because working in a cafe where you serve drinks to men where the entire purpose is to provide men with young girls to talk to and look at and perv over is sex work.

My cousin made great money working at a 'macho bar' in Kyoto. Put himself through college and now works for Softbank.

She was 18. Nothing to do with "pedophilia"?

Because men tend to like young women. What in the world is strange about that? Would it permissible in your mind for men go to cafes where the only staff are old men?

Again, I really don't feel I should have to explain why young women don't exist for male fantasy and entertainment, or why sex work is a bad path to lead young women down.

Who is "they"? Girls bar jobs very straight forward, not related to shady sex businesses. Honestly, your comments sound like someone has time-travelled here from the Victorian England era.

As someone who has worked in 水商売 , I'm the best person here to know its definition, what is entailed, how it works, and how it can be very bad business for women, especially younger ones who are just starting out in life.

It really is hilarious to me when people think my views are "Victorian" considering the reason that I know these things all too well.

girl_in_tokyo

As someone who has worked in 水商売 , I'm the best person here to know its definition, what is entailed, how it works, and how it can be very bad business for women, especially younger ones who are just starting out in life.

Sure it can be, as can lots of things. Calling a girls bar a "sex business" however, is huge stretch. By that token, most everything is a "sex business". And girls bars have nothing to do with "pedophilia" either, which you also brought up. Come down to earth. Now tell us more about your 水商売 experience.

ZaphodToday 02:58 am JST

Sure it can be, as can lots of things. Calling a girls bar a "sex business" however, is huge stretch. By that token, most everything is a "sex business". And girls bars have nothing to do with "pedophilia" either, which you also brought up.

I'm not sure what it is you disagree with here. Any business where women are catering to the desires of a male clientele, where the main feature of the business is the availability of women for the entertainment of men, is about sex. Therefore, it's sex work.

You said, "Because men tend to like young women" yet are denying that this work has anything to do with sex - that seems incredibly disingenuous when you have tacitly agreed with me that the entire purpose of such a cafe is to provide men with young girls to talk to and look at and perv over.

These establishments cater to male sexual desire. Even if no actual physical sex in involved, these businesses are in the same genre. Whether it's a girl's bar, a maid cafe, a bikini bar, a Hooter's, it is about sex and desire. And it is not a healthy atmosphere for young women who are just starting to come into their own sexuality.

I brought up pedophilia because of the age of the girls working in these establishments. They're young - too young - to truly understand what they're getting into, and older men should know better than to indulge in this kind of behavior with girls who, as I said, should be at home doing homework, chatting with friends, or working at a McDonald's for pocket money. Again, "Because men tend to like young women" - in this case, it's extremely young women, not age-appropriate women, which is highly unethical.

Honestly? I think you know this and by this point are simply being obtuse because you don't like to admit that your initial thoughts on the matter were hasty and not well-thought out. Now that you've had time to consider the points I've made, I hope you come to a different conclusion.

Come down to earth. Now tell us more about your 水商売 experience.

I brought it up because you called me a prude, so it was necessary to counter that view. Now that you know I am the furthest thing from a prude, and am coming from a place of experience and concern, has that changed your mind?

girl_in_tokyo

I'm not sure what it is you disagree with here. Any business where women are catering to the desires of a male clientele, where the main feature of the business is the availability of women for the entertainment of men, is about sex. Therefore, it's sex work.

What "desire"? The desire to drink and sing karaoke? By your standard we are surrounded by "sex businesses".

The guys who look for sex have plenty of other businesses catering to them.

 I brought up pedophilia because of the age of the girls working in these establishments. They're young - too young - to truly understand what they're getting into, and older men should know better 

They are not CHILDREN, which is what "pedophilia" refers to. And what they "get into" is pouring drinks, chatting, looking cute, and singing Karaoke.

This is largely a question of language. If you call everything a "sex business" and "pedophilia" then you devalue these very strong terms. (Similar to the people who call every war a "genocide" and every conservative a "fascist".)

girl_in_tokyoOct. 29 07:59 am JST

I brought up pedophilia because of the age of the girls working in these establishments. They're young - too young - to truly understand what they're getting into, and older men should know better than to indulge in this kind of behavior with girls who, as I said, should be at home doing homework, chatting with friends, or working at a McDonald's for pocket money. Again, "Because men tend to like young women" - in this case, it's extremely young women, not age-appropriate women, which is highly unethical.

This man who did this to this poor girl will spend many years in jail. No idea really why a man is doing something horrible like that. Ruining his future. For what? It's crazy and there is no excuse for what he did.

However any criminal case of a 49 year old man attacking a 18 year old female is in no way related to pedophilia. To use this term is plainly wrong. A 18 year old woman is surely not prepubescent.

A 18 year old woman is an adult, responsible herself for the job she is choosing. If she want to do such night work, it is up to her. It should be noticed that a girls bar or maid cafe etc. is not a soapland or hostess club. Why should a man not visit such a girls bar, which is in Japan operated as a legal business?

If you don't like the existence of such businesses you better should approach the girls working there and try to chase them away and convince them changing their job - or talk to the business owners who are often 'not so young females' too, ask them to consider to close down and to look for another source of income.