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Japan finally updated its definition of rape so that the crime no longer requires the use of force. Its age of consent is also no longer 13.

Jun 16, 2023, 17:14 IST
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Protesters call for revision of the anti-sex crime law, in front of Tokyo Station in Tokyo, Japan, on June 11, 2019.Alessandro Di Ciommo/NurPhoto via Getty Images
  • Japan reformed its sex crimes laws on Friday, clarifying rape prosecution requirements.
  • The definition of rape was changed from "forcible" sex to "non-consensual sexual intercourse."
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Japan has updated its definition of rape so that the crime does not require the use of force and the age of consent is no longer 13.

The long-awaited overhaul of sex crime laws was cleared in the Japanese parliament's upper house in a unanimous vote on Friday, the BBC reported.

The definition of rape was changed from "forcible sexual intercourse" to "non-consensual sexual intercourse." The age of consent, which had been the same since 1907, was raised from 13 years old to 16 years old.

The laws outlined eight scenarios where it is difficult for a victim to consent to sex, some of which include when the victim is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, subject to violence or threats, or is "frightened or astonished," the BBC said.

They also criminalized "photo voyeurism," or upskirting, and the grooming of minors. Meanwhile, the legal window for reporting rape was extended from 10 years to 15 years.

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The change follows multiple rape acquittals that caused a national outcry and sparked the Flower Demo campaign against sexual violence.

In 2014, a man was acquitted of rape after he pinned a 15-year-old girl to a wall and had sex with her while she resisted, according to the BBC.

A Tokyo court ruled his actions did not make it "extremely difficult" for her to resist. The girl was also treated as an adult because she was over 13 years old.

There has long been stigma and shame around sexual violence in Japan, according to Human Rights Watch.

It noted that a 2021 government survey showed that only 6 percent of men and women reported an assault. Almost half of the women said they couldn't do so because of "embarrassment."

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