Tokyo

Advertisment

The city of Tokushima and its prefectural government in Japan have come under the scanner for spending over $2,800 (400,000 yen) in public funds on a sex doll to promote tourism. The government's tourism policy division used the sex doll in a tourist exhibition at the Tokushima Awaodori Airport in 2017. 

The doll was utilised as part of the "Awa indigo charm promotion project" in 2017, aimed at promoting the prefecture's traditional indigo-dyeing art. The entire project was commissioned with a budget of $18,900 to the private sector and a promotion area was set up in the corner of the lobby of the airport. 

Initially, a pair of cheap mannequins, rented at around $180 per day, were placed in the lobby. However, a few months later, the mannequins disappeared and the sex doll, dressed in an indigo-dyed summer kimono took its place. 

Advertisment

Interestingly, the existence of the adult doll came to light in September last year only. Consequently, the prefectural assembly member Atsushi Fukawa requested a citizen's audit in November. 

According to the Japanese news outlet Mainichi, a male official in his 40s in charge of the project instructed the contractor to purchase the sex doll to replace the mannequins. The said official visited a sex doll manufacturing and sales company in Osaka with other project stakeholders, including the contractor, to pick out the doll. 

Watch | Gravitas: Japan redefines rape, raises the age of consent 

Advertisment

×

Doll would enhance effectiveness

The audit conducted into the fiasco revealed that the decision to use the sex doll was made as the tourism division thought that the use of a highly realistic doll would enhance the effectiveness of the project. However, the auditors dismissed this claim and flatly rejected any need to exhibit a sex doll. 

Under the prefectural government regulations, any item costing upwards of 100,000 yen is to be treated as "fixtures" rather than consumable items. As a prefectural fixture, the doll was later utilised in two separate projects in 2017 and 2019 as well.  

Also read | South Korea lifts ban on import of adult-sized sex dolls, customs office releases revised guidelines

In their final assessment, the auditors stated the use of dolls was "grossly inappropriate in terms of social norms" and "violated the local finance law". The prefecture has been urged to seek compensation from officials involved by June 19. 

Governor Masazumi Gotoda released a statement saying his administration was taking the audit results seriously even though the case was from before his tenure. 

(With inputs from agencies)