# Alibi-ya

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{{Short description|Type of Japanese business}}

An {{nihongo|'''alibi-ya'''|アリバイ屋|aribai ya}} is a business in [Japan](/source/Japan) that creates an identity viewed as socially respectable for peoples involved in occupations that may be viewed as shameful — typically identities for women involved in the [sex industry](/source/sex_industry).<ref name="NY Times - 11Jul199 - In Japan, Alibis Are An Industry">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/11/weekinreview/in-japan-alibis-are-an-industry.html|title=In Japan, Alibis Are An Industry|last=Kristof|first=Nicholas D.|date=July 11, 1999|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|accessdate=21 May 2012}}</ref> The fictitious identity is created to conceal the person's actual identity from her family and potential spouses. Services provided by alibi-ya range from simply a phone answering service at a non-existent employer to arrangements for a boss to give a speech at the client's wedding praising her work at the non-existent company.<ref name="ABC News - 21May2012 - Japanese sex workers sold fictitious lives">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-21/businesses-sell-alibis-to-japanese-sex-workers/4023420|title=Japanese sex workers sold fictitious lives|last=Willacy|first=Mark|date=21 May 2012|work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia))|publisher=[Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation)|accessdate=21 May 2012}}</ref> Though the business is not illegal of itself, alibi-ya came to attention in 2011 when fake documents issued by an alibi-ya were used to illegally obtain bank loans.<ref name="ABC News - 21May2012 - Japanese sex workers sold fictitious lives"/><ref name="Nikkei BP - 10May2011 - The fraud called 'alibi-ya' a useful tool">{{cite news|url=http://www.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/sj/20111004/286173/?P=2&ST=rebuild|title=The fraud called 'alibi-ya' a useful tool|last=Natsuhara|first=Takeshi|date=10 May 2011|work=[Nikkei BP](/source/Nikkei_Business_Publications)|publisher=[Nihon Keizai Shimbun](/source/Nihon_Keizai_Shimbun)|accessdate=21 May 2012}}</ref> In subsequent years, these firms provided customers with fake identities, spurious tax certificates and false documents required to rent apartments or take out personal loans.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-06 |title=Trio of alibi specialists runs afoul of the law |url=https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/trio-of-alibi-specialists-runs-afoul-of-the-law |access-date=2025-08-13 |website=Japan Today |language=en}}</ref>

==Etymology==
"Alibi-ya" is a combination of the [English](/source/English_language) world "[alibi](/source/alibi)" and the [Japanese](/source/Japanese_language) "ya", meaning "shop" or "seller".<ref name="NY Times - 11Jul199 - In Japan, Alibis Are An Industry"/> It is also written in Japanese as {{nihongo|aribai-gaisha|アリバイ会社}}, meaning "alibi company".<ref name="Nikkei BP - 10May2011 - The fraud called 'alibi-ya' a useful tool"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

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Category:Sex industry in Japan

{{Japan-business-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alibi-ya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibi-ya) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibi-ya?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.