Kansai Enko Direct

The term "Enko" (援助交際) — literally translating to "compensated dating" — is a Japanese euphemism for a practice where older men (typically businessmen) provide money, luxury goods, or financial support to younger individuals (usually underage or young adult women) in exchange for companionship, which often (though not always) includes sexual favors.

If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: The real culture of Kansai — its food, its festivals, its history — is rich enough without venturing into its shadows. If you or someone you know is involved in Enko in the Kansai region and needs help, contact the Osaka Child Guidance Center (06-6766-7890) or NPO Lighthouse (support for young women in the sex trade). kansai enko

For every high school girl buying a Louis Vuitton bag with Enko money, there are ten damaged, indebted, and invisible young people. For every businessman who views a Deai cafe as “relaxation,” there is an enabler of a system that treats human intimacy as a vending machine commodity. The term "Enko" (援助交際) — literally translating to