Japan Raises Age of Sexual Consent to 16, Reforms Continue Slowly

Japan’s parliament made a significant change on Friday by raising the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16. This adjustment, which had remained untouched for over a century and was one of the lowest globally, came in response to calls for improved protection for children and women.

The modification is part of a comprehensive overhaul of laws related to sex crimes. Additionally, Parliament passed a new law to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues. However, activists criticized this law for falling short of guaranteeing equal rights for sexual minorities.

In a country where men have long dominated the legislative and judicial branches, reforms aimed at providing greater protection for sexual crime victims and imposing stricter punishments on offenders have progressed slowly.

Japan had not revised its criminal code on sexual crimes for 110 years until 2017. The public outcry following a series of acquittals in sexual abuse cases and the increasing instances of non-consensual sexual images of girls and women led to the current revisions.

The recent changes categorize sexual intercourse with individuals under the age of 16 as rape. The law identifies eight scenarios of “consentless sex crimes,” a new term denoting forced sexual intercourse, including instances where the victim is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, coerced by fear or intimidation.

Furthermore, the new laws prohibit the filming, distribution, and possession of sexually exploitative images obtained without consent.

The statute of limitations for sex crimes has been extended by five years, allowing a 10-year period for prosecuting consentless sexual intercourse. Perpetrators of this crime can now face up to 15 years in prison, while “photo voyeurism” is punishable by a maximum of three years’ imprisonment.

These changes were prompted, in part, by a case in Nagoya where a court acquitted a father who raped his 19-year-old daughter, ruling that her lack of consent did not involve violent resistance. This verdict sparked nationwide protests.

However, the new LGBTQ+ law has generated concerns among activists, as last-minute alterations seemingly catered to opponents of transgender rights, thereby threatening the LGBTQ+ community instead of promoting equality.

Unlike the other Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, Japan lacks LGBTQ+ legal protections. While support for same-sex marriage and other rights has increased among the Japanese public, the governing Liberal Democratic Party, known for its conservative values and hesitance to endorse gender equality and sexual diversity, still faces strong opposition.

The final version of the law acknowledges that “unjust discrimination” is unacceptable, but it does not explicitly ban discrimination. It vaguely states that conditions should be established for “all citizens to live with peace of mind,” leading activists to believe that the governing party prioritized the concerns of equal rights opponents over the rights of sexual minorities.

Minori Tokieda, a transgender woman, expressed her deep concern, stating, “The law fails to recognize our struggles and instead appeases those who cause us harm. I am deeply troubled by how the law portrays us as if our mere existence threatens people’s sense of safety.”

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More about sexual consent age

• Japan raises age of sexual consent to 16 from 13
• Japan’s slow progress on reforms for sexual crime victims
• Concerns over LGBTQ+ law in Japan
• Public outrage and demands for stronger protection in Japan
• Japan’s revised laws on sex crimes
• Japan’s ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights
• The situation of LGBTQ+ rights in Japan
• Overview of sexual consent laws worldwide