The Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau said Tuesday 115 women from six countries were trafficked into Japan in 2005, the first number it has officially tallied.
Over 90 percent of the women were from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, and the average age was 24, officials said.
Of the 115, 114 have returned to their home countries, and one woman has remained here due to marriage. The bureau said 47 women had violated the immigration law, including entering the country on forged passports or overstaying their visas. The other 68 women were in Japan legally on entertainment visas.