rape in Japan

Rape in Japan has been recorded from ancient times to the present. Ishikozume executions were carried out against alleged perpetrators of rape in Ancient Japan.{{cite journal|last1=Byron |first1=Earhart|date=1966 |title=1966 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3269418 |journal=Numen |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=116–127|jstor=3269418 }} During the Edo period, power holders, such as Inoue Masamoto, raped women. During the Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa eras, rapes committed by Genzo Kurita,{{cite web | author= | script-title=ja:第024回国会 法務委員会公聴会 第2号 | publisher=National Diet Library | language=Japanese | url=http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/024/0640/02405100640002c.html | date=1956-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210155049/http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/sangiin/024/0640/02405100640002c.html |archive-date=2019-12-10}} Ryuun Daimai,{{cite book|date=2002 |title=Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei Case and Crime Encyclopedia|publisher=Tokyo Law and Economics School |page=110 |isbn=4-8089-4003-5}} Satarō Fukiage,{{cite web | author= Atsushi Hachisu| title=Satarō Fukiage | publisher= | language=Japanese | url=http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~okino/kaikyou/sei-1.htm |date=January 1994 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070817021413/http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~okino/kaikyou/sei-1.htm |archive-date=2007-08-17}} Seisaku Nakamura,{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi.com/komimi/TKY200802010172.html|script-title=ja:異色の少年犯罪本、ネット発で好評|language=Japanese|publisher=Asahi Shimbun|date=2008-02-09}} and Yoshio Kodaira{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2007/08/12/books/book-reviews/a-dark-dissection-of-tokyo-at-war/|title=A dark dissection of Tokyo at war|work=The Japan Times|date=12 August 2007|last1=Finbow|first1=Steve}} received media attention.

Rape was committed by Imperial Japanese Armed Forces personnel throughout the Empire of Japan during the Asia–Pacific War. Comfort women from Japan and other nations were sex trafficked and sexually assaulted throughout the Japanese mainland and Japanese-occupied territories.{{cite web|author=The Asian Women's Fund|title=Who were the Comfort Women?-The Establishment of Comfort Stations|work=Digital Museum The Comfort Women Issue and the Asian Women's Fund|publisher=The Asian Women's Fund|url=http://www.awf.or.jp/e1/facts-01.html|access-date=9 December 2024}}

There was rape during the occupation of Japan and afterwards by United States Armed Forces personnel. The 1945 Katsuyama killing incident,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/01/world/3-dead-marines-and-a-secret-of-wartime-okinawa.html?pagewanted=print|title=3 Dead Marines and a Secret of Wartime Okinawa|work=The New York Times|date=1 June 2000|last1=Sims|first1=Calvin}} Yumiko-chan incident,{{cite news|url=|title=Soldier to Die for Rape-Slaying of Okinawa Girl|work=Kingsport Times|date=6 December 1955}} 1995 Okinawa rape incident,{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-28-mn-62075-story.html|title="Okinawa Rape Suspect's Lawyer Gives Dark Account: Japan: Attorney of accused Marine says co-defendant admitted assaulting 12-year-old girl 'just for fun'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=28 October 1995|last1=Watanabe|first1=Teresa}} and other occurrences were reported. Rapes continue to be committed in Japan by U.S. service members and contractors.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/second-us-soldier-japan-charged-sexual-assault-okinawa/|title=Second U.S. service member in months charged with rape in Japan's Okinawa: "We are outraged"|work=CBS News|date=28 June 2024}} Rapes have led to protests against the US military presence in Okinawa and other prefectures.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/general-news-international-news-3b90c2d7835e417a85d0bbae70316e5b|title=Massive protest on Okinawa opposes US military after killing|work=The Associated Press|date=19 June 2016|last1=Kageyama|first1=Yuri}} Sexual assaults have also been committed by personnel in the Japan Self-Defense Forces{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/12/rina-gonoi-sexual-assault-japan-court-finds-soldiers-guilty-in-landmark-case|title=Rina Gonoi sexual assault: Japan court finds soldiers guilty in landmark case|work=The Guardian|date=12 December 2023}} and by government workers.{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/13/japan/crime-legal/meti-bureaucrat-rape-ruling/|title=Ex-METI bureaucrat given 10-year sentence for drugging and raping women|work=The Japan Times|date=13 May 2024|last1=Karin|first1=Kaneko}}

Juvenile and adult rapes in the country's post-war included, but were not limited to, the rape, torture, and murder of Junko Furuta, the Super Free incidents,{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/japan-searches-soul-after-divisive-rape-case-20030705-gdh1la.html|title=Japan searches soul after divisive rape case|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=5 July 2003}} Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66752320|title=Johnny Kitagawa's sexual abuse: Japan's worst kept secret|work=BBC|date=8 September 2023|last1=Khalil|first1=Shaimaa}} and crimes committed by Joji Obara,{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2000/12/15/national/obara-pleads-innocent-to-rape/|title=Obara pleads innocent to rape|newspaper=Japan Times|date=December 15, 2000}} Kiyoshi Ōkubo, Koichi Shoji,{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/02/national/japan-executes-two-death-row-inmates-first-executions-since-last-december/|title=Hangings carried out for two Japanese death row inmates convicted of multiple rape-murders|work=The Japan Times|date=2 August 2019|last1=Murakami|first1=Sakura|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120112930/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/02/national/japan-executes-two-death-row-inmates-first-executions-since-last-december/ |archive-date=20 November 2020 }} Mamoru Takuma, Masato Uchishiba,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-21289450|title=Japan Olympic judo champion jailed for raping student|work=BBC|date=1 February 2013}} Noriyuki Yamaguchi,{{Cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/18/national/crime-legal/japan-journalist-shiori-ito-wins-rape-case/|title=Japan journalist Shiori Ito awarded ¥3.3 million in damages in high-profile rape case|last=Osumi|first=Magdalena|date=18 December 2019|work=The Japan Times Online|access-date=18 December 2019|language=en-US|issn=0447-5763}} Yasunori Suzuki, and Yukio Yamaji.{{cite news|url=https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/news-and-opinion/should-school-age-killers-be-tried-as-adults/|title=Should School-Age Killers Be Tried as Adults?|work=Tokyo Weekender|date=12 July 2015|last1=Jordan|first1=Alec}}

Rape media have been produced in Japan.{{cite web|url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20090529-OYT1T01068.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090530185542/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20090529-OYT1T01068.htm |archive-date=2009-05-30 |title=Party sets up a team to strengthen restriction on sexual violence games (性暴力ゲーム規制強化へ、与党が流通歯止め検討チーム) |publisher=Yomiuri Shimbun |language=ja}}{{cite book |last=Weisser|first=Thomas|author2=Yuko Mihara Weisser |title=Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films|year=1998|publisher=Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications|location=Miami|isbn=1-889288-52-7|pages= 468–469}}

In Japan, as in many other places, rapes can be divided into two main categories. One is "fushizen rape" (不自然), or relational rape, where the rape is carried out by a person the offended party already knows/has a relationship with and/or there is no particular physical violence involved. There is also "tsūjō rape" (通常), or assault rape, where you are, potentially violently, assaulted by an unknown person and the act of rape. It can be difficult to know where the difference lies between these. The majority of all rapes are relational rapes.{{Citation |title=Tokyo Rape Crisis Center |url=http://www.tokyo-rcc.org/center-hp-english.htm |access-date=2013-05-08 |archive-date=2013-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603102213/http://www.tokyo-rcc.org/center-hp-english.htm}} In Japan, marital rape was considered to be non-existent, because when the woman says yes to marriage it is seen as giving permanent consent to sexual contact and has thus given up sexual autonomy. Due to the permanent consent, it is believed that rape cannot take place in this situation.

The legislation and definition of rape in Japan are defined in the Penal Code which was created in 1907. Until the legislation was changed in 2017, the legal definition of an act of rape was as follows: (Article 177)[http://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/hourei/data/PC.pdf Penal Code of Japan] is when one uses force or threatening behavior to force oneself for vaginal intercourse. All other types of sexual abuse in Japan fall under the category of "Forcible Indecency", also called "indecent assault" (Article 176). Because the terminology used is so broad, this category includes everything from groping (chikan, 痴漢), to more serious sexual assaults such as rape by men etc. Thus, by legal definition, only women could be victims of rape and only men could rape. This changed when the law underwent a reform in 2017. The reform included recognition of male rape victims, a longer minimum statutory penalty and the ability for public prosecutors to indict an offender without requiring a victim to file a complaint.{{Cite news |title=EDITORIAL: Tougher stance against sex crimes taken not moment too soon {{!}} The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14937686 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621094516/https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14937686 |archive-date=2023-06-21 |access-date=2025-03-15 |work=The Asahi Shimbun |language=en-US |url-status=live }} The reform didn't change the requirement for proscecutors to prove that violence or intimidation was involved or that the victim was incapable of resistance.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-10 |title=Outrage at acquittals in rape cases sparks calls to fix Japanese law |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/10/outrage-at-acquittals-in-rape-cases-sparks-calls-to-fix-japanese-law |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=euronews |language=en}} In 2023 there was a second reform that broadened the definition of rape to any non-consensual intercourse.{{Cite news |date=2023-06-16 |title=Japan redefines rape and raises age of consent in landmark move |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65887198 |access-date=2025-03-15 |language=en-GB}}

The Japanese rape statistics are 20 times lower than the US,{{Citation |title=Crisis intervention center. |url=http://www.crisisinterventioncenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:sa-statistics&catid=37:sexual-assault&Itemid=77 |access-date=2013-05-07 |archive-date=2013-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411010325/http://www.crisisinterventioncenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:sa-statistics&catid=37:sexual-assault&Itemid=77}} and the country has a very strong judicial system where over 99% of all criminal cases in court end in a conviction.[http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/468111 Ramseyer,J. Mark and Rasmusen,Eric B.(2001), 'Why Is the Japanese Conviction Rate So High?'], The Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 30, No. 1 (January 2001), pp. 53-88 (18.april 2013) However, this comparison is misleading as there are significant differences in the legal definition of "rape" in the US and Japan (at least before the Penal Code reform of 2023) and a high under-reporting rate in Japan.{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=David T. |date=2024-08-01 |title=Is rape a crime in Japan? |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/E5A43CF9D262C99C350C557A8419EB3B/S1479591423000554a.pdf/is_rape_a_crime_in_japan.pdf |journal=International Journal of Asian Studies | publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=1–16 |doi=10.1017/S1479591423000554 |access-date=2025-01-03}} A Cabinet of Japan survey stated that one in fourteen women in the nation reported experiencing forced intercourse.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/japan/aichi-child-abuse-rape-video-arrest-b2713450.html|title=Seven men arrested for raping daughters and posting about it in chat group|work=The Independent|date=12 March 2025|last1=Sarkar |first1=Alisha Rahaman}}

[http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/1431-25.htm Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication;Statistics Bureau, Director-General for Policy Planning(statistical standards) & Statistical Reaseach and Training Institute: Chapter 25 Justice and Police, 25-1 Crime Cases Known to the Police, Cases Cleared up and Arrestees by Type of Crime], (21. april 2013) {{Webarchive||url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113235218/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/pdf/yhyou25.pdf |date=2013-11-15 }}[https://www.npa.go.jp/toukei/soubunkan/h28/pdf/H28_ALL.pdf Crimes in Japan in 2016] page 21[https://www.npa.go.jp/toukei/soubunkan/R05/pdf/R05_02.pdf Statistical data on criminal offenses in 2023] page 21 Cases where the perpetrator is a minor have their own statistical category, which means that no one between the ages of 14-19 is included in these figures.

[https://www.npa.go.jp/toukei/soubunkan/h28/pdf/H28_ALL.pdf] Page 53[https://www.npa.go.jp/toukei/soubunkan/R05/pdf/R05_02.pdf] page 50 (Nearly 70% of the reported cases in this category are supposedly groping (called chikan, 痴漢) on public transport.)

There has been an increase in sexual education discussing consent in schools. The government has organized public awareness campaigns. Child pornography laws in Japan have been passed in an attempt to reduce the rape of adolescents for commercial purpose.

Individuals such as Shiori Itō{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/media/japan-shiori-ito-legal-intl-hnk/index.html|title=Japanese #MeToo symbol wins civil court case two years after she accused a prominent journalist of raping her|work=CNN|date=18 December 2019|last1=Hollingsworth|first1=Julia |last2=Ogura|first2=Junko}} and Koyuki Higashi{{cite news|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/09/13/lifestyle/child-ever-deserves-abused-like/|title='No child ever deserves to be abused like this'|work=The Japan Times|date=13 September 2014|last1=Ito|first1=Masami}} have brought attention to the issues concerning rape in Japan.

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Category:Society of Japan

Category:Rape in Japan

Category:Social issues in Japan

Category:Slavery in Japan

Category:Crimes against women

Category:Violence against women in Japan