Mizu Shōbai

Just a few days ago an English teacher was murdered. She was smart, attractive, Western and my age. She'd only been in Japan for a short time – a place I was in not too long ago. It's a vulnerable place and sadly, she didn't make it through.


The Japanese man views a woman differently then a Western man. She was put on this earth to service him. Nothing more. This murder reeks of sexual aggression and Japan's gender issues.

Her murder has brought up thoughts of another murder of a Western girl, Lucie Blackman. But Lucie wasn't an English teacher. She came to Japan in search of wealth – working as a hostess in a hostess bar.

Since I first arrived in Japan 10 months ago, I've been fascinated by this strange sexual counterculture. You can't escape it – the Mizu Shōbai - it's everywhere.