Wikipedia

Rape in Japan

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, 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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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]

Rape media have been produced in Japan.[36][37]

Definitions

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Types

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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.

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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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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]

Rape
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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

[42][43][44] 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
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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

[45][46] (Nearly 70% of the reported cases in this category are supposedly groping (called chikan, 痴漢) on public transport.)

Anti-Rape Efforts

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Government Response

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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

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Individuals such as Shiori Itō[47] and Koyuki Higashi[48] have brought attention to the issues concerning rape in Japan.

References

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  1. ^ Yeung, Jessie; Ishikawa, Eru (17 June 2023). "Why Japan is rethinking its rape laws and raising the age of consent from 13". CNN.
  2. ^ "Japan to launch sexual abuse hotline amid surge in 'date rape drug' cases". Tokyo Reporter. 31 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Filipino man gets life term over 2004 gang rape-murder". Kyodo News. 25 July 2018.
  4. ^ "I could only cry: Japanese actor on how she was tricked into porn industry". Hindustan Times. AFP, Tokyo. 2016-10-05.
  5. ^ "'It was like rape': Women in Japan tricked into pornography". ABC News. 10 June 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  6. ^ Ekin, Annette (8 Mar 2017). "Sexual assault in Japan: 'Every girl was a victim'". Al Jazeera.
  7. ^ a b c "Cambodian trainee to sue farm manager in Japan over repeated rapes". Bangkok Post. 10 December 2024.
  8. ^ Osawa, Machiko (10 April 2024). "Landmark sexual violence survey reveals shocking data". The Japan Times.
  9. ^ a b c Yeung, Jessie; Ishikawa, Eru (17 June 2023). "Why Japan is rethinking its rape laws and raising the age of consent from 13". CNN.
  10. ^ Wong, Tessa; Shiraishi, Sakiko (6 June 2023). "Why is Japan redefining rape?". BBC.
  11. ^ a b Fujioka, Chisa (9 August 2007). "Little sympathy for rape victims in Japan". Reuters.
  12. ^ Wong, Tessa; Shiraishi, Sakiko (6 June 2023). "Why is Japan redefining rape?". BBC.
  13. ^ a b c Hollingsworth, Julia (22 December 2019). "She won a civil case against her alleged rapist. But Japan's rape laws need an overhaul, campaigners say". CNN.
  14. ^ a b Asahi Shimbun, 21 April 1989, evening edition, p. 19, "波紋広がる女高生殺人 少年法改正の論議が活発に [High school girl murder causes controversy; active debate over juvenile law reform]"
  15. ^ Byron, Earhart (1966). "1966". Numen. 13 (2): 116–127.
  16. ^ 第024回国会 法務委員会公聴会 第2号 (in Japanese). National Diet Library. 1956-05-10. Archived from the original on 2019-12-10.
  17. ^ Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei Case and Crime Encyclopedia. Tokyo Law and Economics School. 2002. p. 110. ISBN 4-8089-4003-5.
  18. ^ Atsushi Hachisu (January 1994). "Satarō Fukiage" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2007-08-17.
  19. ^ 異色の少年犯罪本、ネット発で好評 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. 2008-02-09.
  20. ^ Finbow, Steve (12 August 2007). "A dark dissection of Tokyo at war". The Japan Times.
  21. ^ The Asian Women's Fund. "Who were the Comfort Women?-The Establishment of Comfort Stations". Digital Museum The Comfort Women Issue and the Asian Women's Fund. The Asian Women's Fund. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  22. ^ Sims, Calvin (1 June 2000). "3 Dead Marines and a Secret of Wartime Okinawa". The New York Times.
  23. ^ "Soldier to Die for Rape-Slaying of Okinawa Girl". Kingsport Times. 6 December 1955.
  24. ^ Watanabe, Teresa (28 October 1995). ""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'". Los Angeles Times.
  25. ^ "Second U.S. service member in months charged with rape in Japan's Okinawa: "We are outraged"". CBS News. 28 June 2024.
  26. ^ Kageyama, Yuri (19 June 2016). "Massive protest on Okinawa opposes US military after killing". The Associated Press.
  27. ^ "Rina Gonoi sexual assault: Japan court finds soldiers guilty in landmark case". The Guardian. 12 December 2023.
  28. ^ Karin, Kaneko (13 May 2024). "Ex-METI bureaucrat given 10-year sentence for drugging and raping women". The Japan Times.
  29. ^ "Japan searches soul after divisive rape case". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 July 2003.
  30. ^ Khalil, Shaimaa (8 September 2023). "Johnny Kitagawa's sexual abuse: Japan's worst kept secret". BBC.
  31. ^ "Obara pleads innocent to rape". Japan Times. December 15, 2000.
  32. ^ a b Murakami, Sakura (2 August 2019). "Hangings carried out for two Japanese death row inmates convicted of multiple rape-murders". The Japan Times.
  33. ^ "Japan Olympic judo champion jailed for raping student". BBC. 1 February 2013.
  34. ^ Osumi, Magdalena (18 December 2019). "Japan journalist Shiori Ito awarded ¥3.3 million in damages in high-profile rape case". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  35. ^ Jordan, Alec (12 July 2015). "Should School-Age Killers Be Tried as Adults?". Tokyo Weekender.
  36. ^ "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)" (in Japanese). Yomiuri Shimbun. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30.
  37. ^ Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. pp. 468–469. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.
  38. ^ Tokyo Rape Crisis Center, archived from the original on 2013-06-03, retrieved 2013-05-08
  39. ^ a b Penal Code of Japan
  40. ^ Crisis intervention center., archived from the original on 2013-04-11, retrieved 2013-05-07
  41. ^ 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)
  42. ^ 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) Archived 2015-11-13(Date mismatch) at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ Crimes in Japan in 2016 page 21
  44. ^ Statistical data on criminal offenses in 2023 page 21
  45. ^ [1] Page 53
  46. ^ [2] page 50
  47. ^ Hollingsworth, Julia; Ogura, Junko (18 December 2019). "Japanese #MeToo symbol wins civil court case two years after she accused a prominent journalist of raping her". CNN.
  48. ^ Ito, Masami (13 September 2014). "'No child ever deserves to be abused like this'". The Japan Times.
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