LONDON -- The sad case of the murder of Lucy Blackman, the young British woman who was a hostess in a Roppongi bar, inevitably attracted the attention of the British media.
The gist of press reporting was that, if it had not been for the tireless efforts of Lucy's father, who visited Japan on a number of occasions and invoked an intervention by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the police would have shelved their investigations.
The nature of the Roppongi bars and their role in the "water trade" in Japan have inevitably been exposed, reports the press. Lucy's father was clearly horrified by what he saw in Roppongi. He found the bars sordid and questions have been asked about their safety in terms of fire and health hazards. It has been suggested that the bars are only able to continue in their current fashion because many are controlled by yakuza groups.