A panel of Japanese Justice has proposed raising the age of consent from 13 to 16.
The proposal forms part of a wider overhaul of Japan’s laws on sex crimes, after multiple rape acquittals in 2019 caused outcry.
It also aims to criminalise the grooming of minors and expand the definition of rape.
The statute of limitations for reporting rape will also be increased to 15 from 10 years.
Currently, Japan has the lowest age of consent in developed countries, and the lowest in the G7 group.
The current law in Japan means victims of rape need to prove that there was “violence and intimidation” used during the rape and that it was “impossible to resist” to secure a conviction.
The panel has not changed this wording but instead added other factors including intoxication, drugging, being caught off guard and psychological control into the definition.
Justice Ministry official Yusuke Asanuma said that this “isn’t meant to make it easier or harder” for victims to win a rape case but that it should make verdicts “more consistent”.
