Listings for used indoor school shoes worn by Japanese schoolgirls have surfaced on second-hand websites for around Rs30,000, which triggered public outrage and renewed debate over the issue of the sexualisation of minors, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. Several online marketplaces in Japan were found listing the canvas slip-on shoes students wear indoors at school.
The shoes often come with handwritten details, including the student's name, class, and school, written on the inside as required by many schools. Some listings include photos showing the shoes being worn, sometimes paired with images of the seller's legs.
Also read | Who Is Ryan Cohen? College Dropout Billionaire Trying To Buy eBay For $56 Billion
Prices range widely, but premium pairs, which are marketed as "well-used" or with visible wear, have been listed for Rs 18,000 to Rs 30,000. By contrast, new school shoes in Japan typically cost under Rs 1,500.
As per the outlet, one pair of indoor shoes was shipped from Saitama prefecture and was listed for $44, which is over Rs 4,000. The pair was described as "graduation commemorative shoes".
"Used for three years. There are marks where the name on the upper part of the shoe has been erased," the description further added.
In one case reported by Bengo4 News, a 21-year-old woman said her mother made her wear old indoor shoes when she was in secondary school and pose for photographs showing her legs. The shoes and images were later listed together on a second-hand trading site. Experts said the case could amount to child sexual abuse.
Also read | Intern Says Trusting Colleague Cost Him Job Offer, Viral Post Triggers Debate: "Thought He Was Friend"
Such listings have sparked outrage
Critics say the appeal isn't the shoes themselves, but the "commodified image of the schoolgirl behind them".
"The horrifying fact is that girls' belongings are being sexualised, while personal details such as their names, classes and schools are being exposed," one social media user wrote as quoted.
