Osaka mayor's defense of sexual slavery angers Beijing

Japanese mayor's farcical remarks

Hashimoto, the young, brash mayor of Osaka who is co-leader of an emerging conservative political party, also said that US troops currently based in southern Japan should patronize the local sex industry more to help reduce rapes and other assaults.

Hashimoto said he recently visited Okinawa in southern Japan and told the US commander there "to make better use of the sex industry".

"He froze, and then with a wry smile said that is off-limits for the US military," he said.

"I told him that there are problems because of such formalities," Hashimoto said, explaining that he was not referring to illegal prostitution but to places operating within the law. "If you don't make use of those places you cannot properly control the sexual energy of those tough guys."

AP