Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Members

ECPAT/STOP Japan

ECPAT/STOP Japan was founded in 1992 and lobbies for new and amended legislation to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children. ECPAT/STOP Japan also conducts advocacy activities for child safety on the Internet. Additionally, ECPAT/STOP works to ensure the implementation of the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism in Japan. ECPAT/STOP Japan translated the Code into Japanese, developed a Code Project training manual and video and conducts training seminars for signatory companies.

ECPAT/Kansai Japan

ECPAT/ Kansai Japan was established in 1992. The organisation works towards the elimination of commercial sexual exploitation of children in cooperation with the ECPAT network, other related organisations and concerned individuals within and outside of Japan. ECPAT/Kansai Japan has been a national counterpart for the implementation of an ESCAP project on the Elimination of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth in Asia and the Pacific. This project includes a public awareness raising campaign and capacity building for personnel providing care to children. ECPAT/ Kansai Japan is responsible for collecting information about child sexual abuse and good practices with regard to prevention and treatment and strengthening the network against child sexual abuse.

Facts

The continued practice of ‘enjo kosai’ (compensated dating) and the existence of websites for online dating, social networking, and “delivery health” (a euphemism for call-girl or escort services) facilitate the exploitation of children through prostitution and other commercial sex industries.

Virtual child pornography (mostly in the form of manga or anime) is widely available in Japanese stores, generally without age restriction. There are no nationwide legal restrictions on who can purchase it.

As of June 2016, Japan is the only country in the region that has ratified the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime.

Resources

ECPAT International
Japan – Country Overview

Year: 2018

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ECPAT International
Access to Justice and Remedies Research: Access to Compensation

Year: 2017

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ECPAT International
Regional Overview: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in East and South-East Asia

Year: 2014

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News from Japan

Indicators

Age of Consent

No

Age of sexual consent is 13 years old. The national legislation does not provide for a close-in-age exemption

ECO Japan, 2018

Extraterritoriality & Extradition

Partial

Active extraterritoriality is provided for SEC crimes including crimes committed by residents. Passive extraterritoriality is provided for some SEC related crimes including “forced indecency”, rape, kidnapping of minors, human trafficking and any attempts thereof. Double criminality is not required.

Extradition is only permitted on the basis of an extradition agreement. It is unclear whether double criminality is required for extradition cases.

ECO Japan, 2018

CSAM Definition

No

The national legislation does not provide a definition of CSAM which is in line with international standards. The definition provided does not include depictions of the sexual parts of a child’s body for primarily sexual purposes, non-visual material, nor material depicting a person appearing to be a minor and computer/digitally generated CSAM including realistic images of non-existing children.

ECO Japan, 2018

Background Check Required

Not Yet Assessed

National Commitments

Partial

Japan has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention No. 182.

Japan has also ratified the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention.

Japan has not ratified the OPIC, the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics nor the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention.

ECO Japan, 2018

Child Advocacy Centers

Not Yet Assessed

SEC Police Unit

Not Yet Assessed

Protection Standards Travel and Tourism

Not Yet Assessed

Public SEC Case Data

No

There are national statistics on sexual exploitation of children in prostitution, offences related to child sexual abuse material and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. No information was found on whether this data is clearly disaggregated, made available periodically and whether it contains data on offenders and on compensation sought by child victims.

ECO Japan, 2018