In Japanese society, prostitution is often framed as a necessary evil – a way to maintain social harmony by providing men with an outlet for their pent-up sexual desires. While there are a number of issues with this view – such as the implication that men are inherently unable to control their sexual impulses – it also has a critical flaw: It frames prostitution as something that only men want or need. In Japan, female sexuality is often seen through the narrow lens of heterosexual romance and motherhood. “Rezu fūzoku” upends this view.