While the Anti-Prostitution Law of 1956 states that "No person may either do prostitution or become the customer of it," loopholes, liberal interpretations and loose enforcement of the law have allowed the sex industry to prosper and earn an estimated 2.3 trillion yen ($24 billion) a year.
The Anti-Prostitution Law of 1956 stipulates that 'No individual may engage in prostitution or patronize it,' yet ambiguities, lenient interpretations, and lax enforcement have enabled the sex trade to flourish and generate approximately 2.3 trillion yen ($24 billion) annually.