Mika is worried. As a sex worker in Japan, she used to see three or four clients a day -- then the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now, with people staying home and avoiding close contact, she's out of clients and out of money.
To soften the economic blow, the central government has launched a massive stimulus package worth 108 trillion Japanese yen (about $989 billion). After some controversy, sex workers are eligible to apply for aid, under certain conditions -- a move some activists have hailed as a sign of progress for an industry that has long suffered social stigma.
However, the move continues to polarize public opinion in Japan, where attitudes toward sex and sex work tend to lean socially conservative, with some public figures -- including well-known TV entertainers -- protesting the use of taxpayer money to support sex workers.
in response, the hashtag #NightWorkIsAlsoWork -- "night work" being a euphemism for sex work -- has gone viral on social media.