Japan Raises Age of Consent to 16 in Landmark Sex Crime Reforms

Tokyo: Japan raised its age of consent from 13 to 16, joining other countries with similar laws.

The reforms also address rape prosecution requirements and criminalize voyeurism.

Advocacy groups, including Human Rights Now, view these changes as a positive step towards combating sexual violence against children. Previously, regional ordinances had effectively raised the age of consent to 18 in some areas.

The new law exempts teen couples within a five-year age gap if both partners are over 13.

These reforms follow nationwide rallies in 2019 due to concerns over rape case acquittals and victim-blaming. The updated legislation clarifies conditions for rape prosecutions and introduces penalties for voyeurism.

Despite positive reception, some individuals express scepticism about the effectiveness of laws in preventing secret filming.