While Kyoto is famous for its geishas and historic temples, it has a darker underbelly regarding youth exploitation. Due to Kyoto’s high-stakes academic environment (elite universities like Kyoto University and Doshisha), some students turn to Kansai Enko to afford tuition and reputational luxury goods (brand-name bags, designer clothes) that are status symbols in their competitive social circles.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape. With hotels closed and social distancing in effect, Kansai Enko initially collapsed. However, it has returned in a more dangerous form: Delivery Enko.
Rather than meeting in Dotonbori, men now order girls like pizza via Telegram bots. The girl goes directly to a love hotel in Tobita Shinchi (Osaka's red-light district) or a manga cafe in Kyoto’s Gion district. This reduces public visibility, making it harder for police to intervene.
Furthermore, inflation has lowered the price floor. Pre-pandemic, a standard rate was ¥30,000. Now, due to desperate university students in Kobe and Osaka, the rate has dropped to ¥15,000 for a "non-sexual date" and ¥40,000 for full service. This "race to the bottom" increases the volume of participants, as men can now afford more frequent encounters.
The result is an uneasy stalemate: Kansai Enko persists because it is technically not full prostitution under national law, and local authorities prioritize violent crime over consensual financial transactions between adults (or near-adults).