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Rape in Japan is sexual assault involving sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent in the nation.[1] Victims and perpetrators include Japanese citizens, residents, and foreign nationals from a wide range of backgrounds and every social class.
Some are victims of drugging,[2] gang rape,[3] torture, murder, sexual slavery, and sex trafficking in Japan as well slavery in Japan. Cybersex trafficking and coerced rape pornography[4][5] are issues. Victims have been raped on public transportation[6] and in workplaces.[7] Victims suffer from physical and psychological trauma, ostracization, and, at times, suicide.[8][7] The contraction of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies from rape have occurred.[7] Victims have lacked systemic support for counseling, therapy, and public services.[9] There has been victim blaming[10] and perpetuation of rape myths.[11]
Japanese courts have been criticized for handing out light sentences[11] and acquitting perpetrators.[12] Some Japanese law enforcement have been censured for their lack of care concerning rape victim reports and investigations[9] Japanese police have discouraged victims from reporting rapes.[13] Rape cases have been dropped by police, but victims pursue civil cases; some result in settlements or low compensation.[13] Victims who come forward have received backlash on social media and threats.[13]
The extent of rape in the nation is unknown because of the lack of reporting and other factors, but there have been incidents that reached the public's attention.[14]
History
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Perspective
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.[15] 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,[16] Ryuun Daimai,[17] Satarō Fukiage,[18] Seisaku Nakamura,[19] and Yoshio Kodaira[20] 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.[21] There was rape during the occupation of Japan and afterwards by United States Armed Forces personnel. The 1945 Katsuyama killing incident,[22] Yumiko-chan incident,[23] 1995 Okinawa rape incident,[24] and other occurrences were reported. Rapes continue to be committed in Japan by U.S. service members and contractors.[25] Rapes have led to protests against the US military presence in Okinawa and other prefectures.[26] Sexual assaults have also been committed by personnel in the Japan Self-Defense Forces[27] and by government workers.[28]
Juvenile and adult rapes in the country's post-war included, but were not limited to, the rape, torture, and murder of Junko Furuta,[14] the Super Free incidents,[29] Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal,[30] and crimes committed by Joji Obara,[31] Kiyoshi Ōkubo, Koichi Shoji,[32] Mamoru Takuma, Masato Uchishiba,[33] Noriyuki Yamaguchi,[34] Yasunori Suzuki,[32] and Yukio Yamaji.[35]
Definitions
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Perspective
Types
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.[38] 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.
Legal
The legislation and the definition in Japan of what an act of rape is has not been updated since the Penal Code came into being in 1907. According to the Japanese legislation, the legal definition of an act of rape (Article 177)[39] 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).[39] 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 can be victims of rape and only men can rape.
Statistics
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Perspective
The Japanese rape statistics are 20 times lower than the US,[40] and the country has a very strong judicial system where over 99% of all criminal cases in court end in a conviction.[41] 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.[42]
Rape
| Year | Known to police | Clearances | Arrests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1548 | 1274 | 1289 |
| 1995 | 1500 | 1410 | 1160 |
| 2000 | 2260 | 1540 | 1486 |
| 2005 | 2076 | 1443 | 1074 |
| 2008 | 1590 | 1326 | 951 |
| 2009 | 1415 | 1163 | 918 |
| 2010 | 1293 | 1063 | 803 |
| 2011 | 1193 | 993 | 768 |
| 2012 | 1266 | 1097 | 858 |
| 2013 | 1409 | 1163 | 937 |
| 2014 | 1250 | 1100 | 919 |
| 2015 | 1167 | 1114 | 933 |
| 2016 | 989 | 970 | 875 |
| 2017 | 1109 | 1027 | 910 |
| 2018 | 1307 | 1190 | 1088 |
| 2019 | 1405 | 1311 | 1178 |
| 2020 | 1332 | 1297 | 1177 |
| 2021 | 1388 | 1330 | 1251 |
| 2022 | 1655 | 1401 | 1339 |
| 2023 | 2711 | 2073 | 1875 |
[43][44][45] 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.
Indecent assault
| Year | Known to police | Clearances | Arrests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 7664 | 3542 | 2240 |
| 2008 | 7137 | 3555 | 2219 |
| 2009 | 6723 | 3563 | 2129 |
| 2009 | 6688 | 3563 | 2129 |
| 2010 | 7068 | 3637 | 2189 |
| 2011 | 6929 | 3550 | 2217 |
| 2012 | 7321 | 3946 | 2451 |
| 2013 | 7654 | 3967 | 2487 |
| 2014 | 7400 | 4300 | 2602 |
| 2015 | 6755 | 4129 | 2644 |
| 2016 | 6188 | 4207 | 2799 |
| 2017 | 5809 | 4320 | 2837 |
| 2018 | 5340 | 4288 | 2923 |
| 2019 | 4900 | 3999 | 2926 |
| 2020 | 4154 | 3766 | 2760 |
| 2021 | 4283 | 3868 | 2903 |
| 2022 | 4708 | 4062 | 3067 |
| 2023 | 6096 | 4813 | 3804 |
[46][47] (Nearly 70% of the reported cases in this category are supposedly groping (called chikan, 痴漢) on public transport.)
Anti-Rape Efforts
Government Response
There has been an increase in sexual education discussing consent in schools. The government has organized public awareness campaigns.[9] Child pornography laws in Japan have been passed in an attempt to reduce the rape of adolescents for commercial purpose.
Activism and Advocacy
Individuals such as Shiori Itō[48] and Koyuki Higashi[49] have brought attention to the issues concerning rape in Japan.
References
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