Translation guide
A person who provides sexual services in exchange for money or goods. This guide covers how to refer to sex workers in Japanese, from neutral terms to slang, with notes on politeness and context.
We discuss the rights of sex workers.
Literally 'sex industry girl', a common term for a female sex worker in the mizu shōbai (water trade). Can be neutral but may carry a slight nuance of youth or informality.
She works as a sex worker.
Loanword from English, used in activist or academic circles. Not as common in everyday speech.
Laws are needed to protect the safety of sex workers.
To refer to a female sex worker in a general sense, often in the context of prostitution.
Literally 'prostitute'. A direct term, can be blunt or derogatory depending on context. Use with caution.
Can sound harsh or judgmental. In casual conversation, euphemisms are often preferred.
She was arrested as a prostitute.
Literary or historical term for 'prostitute'. Often used in novels or historical contexts.
Post-war slang for a street prostitute, often associated with the occupation period. Now dated and rarely used.
To refer specifically to a sex worker in a soapland (a type of bathhouse brothel).
A female worker in a soapland. Common term in the sex industry.
He likes talking with soapland girls.
To refer to a sex worker who visits clients' locations (delivery health).
To refer to a sex worker who solicits on the street.
To refer to a male sex worker, often serving female or male clients.
Formal term for male prostitute. Can be used in news or literature.
He makes a living as a male prostitute.
Slang for a male sex worker who serves male clients, often in specialized shops. Short for 'uri sen' (selling sex).
He works at a shop specializing in male sex workers.
To refer to sex work or sex workers indirectly, often in polite or discreet conversation.
Literally 'water trade', a broad euphemism for the nightlife and sex industry. Can refer to bars, hostess clubs, and sometimes sex work.
She works in the nightlife industry.
Literally 'night work', a vague euphemism that can imply sex work or hostessing.
It seems she does night work.
To understand or recognize derogatory slang for sex workers (use with extreme caution).
Many terms for sex workers are highly context-dependent. A term that is neutral in a news report may be derogatory in casual conversation. When in doubt, use euphemisms like 水商売 or describe the work indirectly.
She works at night (euphemism).
風俗嬢 (fūzoku-jō) is a broader term for women working in the sex entertainment industry, which may not always involve direct intercourse. 売春婦 (baishunfu) specifically means prostitute and is more direct. Use 風俗嬢 when the exact nature of work is unclear or to be less blunt.
The protagonist of that novel was a prostitute.
戦後、パンパンと呼ばれる女性が街に立っていた。
After the war, women called panpan stood on the streets.
Crackdowns on street prostitutes have been intensified.
That woman is a slut.