Japan raises sexual consent limit from 13 to 16 years | Abroad

The reform, which also clarifies the conditions for prosecution for rape and criminalizes voyeurism, was unanimously approved by the upper house of parliament.

At 13, Japan has long had one of the world’s youngest ages of sexual consent. In our country that is 16 years. This means that anyone under the age of 16 cannot, in principle, give permission for sexual acts. In other countries such as France (15 years) and Germany (14 years), this age is lower than in Belgium. Under the new law, sexual relations between two teenagers over the age of 13 will not be penalized if the two partners are no more than five years apart.

Japan reformed its sexual assault laws for the first time in more than a century in 2017, but critics say the changes didn’t go far enough. In 2019, a series of rape acquittals sparked protests across the country. One of the most criticized points, the criteria of a rape, has now been adjusted. At first, rape was only considered if someone had used violence or intimidation. Now that is being broadened to non-consensual sex.

Furthermore, the legal window for reporting rape will be extended from 10 years to 15 years, to give victims more time to come forward. The amendments also ban “photovoyeurism,” which includes shooting under skirts and secretly filming sexual acts, among other things.