NextSharkNextShark.com

Students Petition to Raise Japan’s Age of Consent from 13 to 16

Students Petition to Raise Japan’s Age of Consent from 13 to 16

November 25, 2020
SHARE
A group of university students in Japan have come together to file a petition that seeks to raise the country’s age of consent from 13 to 16.
The group, known as Your Voice Matters, gathered more than 40,000 signatures for the cause, which notes that 13 is too low from an international perspective.
Image Screenshot via Change.org
Under Japanese law, an individual who engages in sex with someone under 13 can be arrested for statutory rape. This is the lowest age of consent of any developed country.
Meanwhile, charging a sex crime over an incident involving someone over 13 requires proof of violence. Additionally, the victim must explain the extent to which they resisted the assault.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

However, some prefectures reportedly have local laws that raise the age of consent to 16 or 18, unless the individuals involved are in a “sincere romantic relationship.” Often, such relationships supposedly require parental consent. In Tokyo, for instance, the effective age of consent is 18.
 
The students submitted the petition to the Criminal Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Justice last Friday. In it, they argued that current curriculum guidelines for junior high school — where someone aged 13 would be in — do not call for teaching about sexual intercourse.
That being said, 13-year-olds may not be fully informed of what constitutes a sexual assault. By 16, students would have graduated from junior high school, and they are expected to be more aware of such realities.
Your Voice Matters submitted their petition to the Justice Ministry. Image via Your Voice Matters
“There were many people who signed the petition who also said they first realized what the consent age was through this effort,” a 21-year-old group member told the Asahi Shimbun. “It is important to raise the age of consent in order to protect minors who are still immature physically and psychologically from sex crimes in light of the fact sexual intercourse is not taught during compulsory education.”
Your Voice Matters thanked people for signing their petition.
“We are extremely grateful for your support and passion towards this campaign. We are also grateful that this campaign have enabled more people to recognize the importance of sexual consent and sexual injustice under the law,” the group said in an update. “We hope that our submission will help contribute in making a change within Japanese society.
Feature Image via Stephanie Hau
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Carl Samson

      Carl Samson is a Senior Editor for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.