Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

This Japanese lawmaker has been expelled from his post after he was found to have broken the country’s coronavirus lockdown to visit a red-light district sex parlour.

Takashi Takai, 50, handed in a letter of resignation on 14th April after admitting visiting a ‘sex parlour’ in the Kabukicho red-light district of the Japanese capital Tokyo on 9th April. However, his party rejected his resignation and expelled him instead.

The sex parlours, sometimes referred to as ‘sexy cabarets’ or ‘hostess bars’, reportedly feature topless women and offer sexual services including kissing and fondling.

Reports state Takai had spent two hours in the sex parlour, two days after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and another six prefectures.

Takai told reporters: “Yes, I’m sorry. In the future, I will be working toward getting myself back into shape as a member of the Diet. I am reflecting upon my actions.”

Reports state he told Tetsuro Fukuyama, the Secretary-General of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) he belonged to, that he regrets “acting carelessly and making people feel uncomfortable when they have been asked to refrain from going out”.

CDP leader Yukio Edano said on social media that Takai “lacked awareness of himself as a lawmaker and it was an irresponsible act that deserves his resignation as a lawmaker.”

Takai had been elected to the Lower House three times since 2009.

According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Japan has suffered 8,626 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 178 deaths.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.