Japan Revises Definition of Rape, Age of Consent Raised Beyond 13

• Japan implemented significant reforms to its sex crimes laws on Friday, establishing clearer guidelines for prosecuting rape cases.
• The previous definition of rape, which required the use of force, has been replaced with “non-consensual sexual intercourse.”
• In addition, the age of consent has been elevated to 16 years.

Japan has recently revised its definition of rape, removing the requirement of force and raising the age of consent from 13 to 16 years.

After receiving unanimous approval in the upper house of the Japanese parliament, the long-awaited reforms to sex crime laws have finally been enacted, as reported by the BBC.

The revised definition of rape now states it as “non-consensual sexual intercourse,” replacing the previous requirement of force. Additionally, the age of consent, which remained unchanged since 1907, has been increased from 13 to 16 years.

The updated laws include eight scenarios where it becomes difficult for a victim to provide consent, such as when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, subjected to violence or threats, or feeling frightened or astonished, as highlighted by the BBC.

The legislation has also criminalized “photo voyeurism” (upskirting) and the grooming of minors. Furthermore, the legal window for reporting rape cases has been extended from 10 to 15 years.

These reforms come following a series of rape acquittals that sparked a nationwide outcry and led to the Flower Demo campaign against sexual violence.

In one such case in 2014, a man was acquitted of rape despite pinning a 15-year-old girl to a wall and engaging in sexual intercourse with her while she resisted, according to the BBC.

A Tokyo court ruled that his actions did not make it “extremely difficult” for her to resist, and since she was over 13 years old, she was treated as an adult.

A government survey conducted in 2021 revealed that only approximately 6 percent of women and men actually report cases of assault.