Japan expands the definition of rape and raises the age of consent to 16 from 13

https://www.npr.org/2023/06/17/ [login to see] /japan-rape-law-nonconsensual-sex-age-consent-16
For decades, Japanese law said children as young as 13 were old enough to consent to sexual activities.

The country also only convicted cases of rape that proved the victim tried to fight back. These century-old laws were part of a troubling culture where survivors rarely reported their assault and assailants largely went unpunished.

But on Friday, Japan's parliament passed legislation to redefine rape as nonconsensual sexual intercourse — removing the provisions regarding use of force — and raise the age of consent from 13 to 16. The changes were the result of over four years of protests, known as the Flower Demo, that decried sexual violence and acquittals in rape cases.

One in 14 women had been raped or sexually assaulted in Japan, according to a March 2021 survey by Japan's Gender Equality Bureau. Meanwhile, less than half of survivors reported the crime, the report also found.