The Penal Code of Japan was established in 1907 and sets the age of consent at 13. Any sexual activity with a person under 13 is considered to be statutory rape and can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
As of now, Japan has the lowest age of consent in developed countries, as 13-year-old children are deemed old enough to consent which also means sexual activity with them is not considered statutory rape.
Age of consent in Japan
It has been 13 years since 1907 when the Penal Code of Japan set the age limit. At that time, the average life expectancy of women was 44 years, and it was common for women to marry and have children at a young age. In society at that time, 13 was regarded as a reasonable age of consent.
One such example is in Tokyo, where the law prohibits sexual activity, consensual or non-consensual, for persons under 18. In contrast, Minami-Tori-Shima Islands hold the age of consent to 13 years old.
[33] Japan`s Child Protection Law defines a child as any person under the age of 18.
Although the legal age of consent throughout Australia is either 16 or 17 years of age, legislation in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia makes it an offence for a person in a supervisory role to have sexual interactions with a ...
About legal age in Australia
As your child grows up and becomes more independent, you might be wondering how old they need to be before they can do certain things. In Australia, you're considered to be an adult when you turn 18 years old.
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill to recognize sexual violation even in the absence of physical violence or coercion, and raise the age of sexual consent from 13 to 16, as part of reforms to the country's Penal Code.
Legal age in Japan is 20 years old, but since April 2022, voting age has been lowered to 18 years old. As a consequence, new rights and responsibilities related to living within society are now accessible to younger adults.
Niger has the lowest average age at only 14.8 years.
Japan statutory rape law is violated when an individual has consensual sexual contact with a person under age 13. At 13, Japan's base age of consent is the lowest of any developed country.
Angola and the Philippines both set the age of consent at 12, which is the lowest in the world.
While the APPI does not have a definition of a "minor," the Japanese Civil Code provides that an individual who is below the age of 18 is a minor.
In society at that time, 13 was regarded as a reasonable age of consent. In addition, the legal marriageable age was 15 back then. Therefore, the age of 13, which is two years younger than 15, was considered sensible. This explains why the age of consent is 13 in Japan.
In 1948 the Japanese Government created a law known as the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Law (風俗営業等の規制及び業務の適正化等に関する法律), also known as 風俗営業取締法 (Fūzoku Eigyō Torishimari Hō) or 風営法 (Fūeihō).
The age of consent is also 14 in Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Mauritius, Malawi, and Chad.
The male partner must be 18 years of age or older and the female partner must be 18 years of age or older. A person who is under 18 years of age cannot get married in Japan without a parent's approval. Most people related by blood, by adoption or through other marriages cannot get married in Japan.
The current rules for age of consent in Germany were set following a post-reunification penal law reform in 1994. The ages of 14 and 16 had been relevant since the Criminal Code for the German Empire came into force in 1872: Under § 176, sexual acts with children under 14 were illegal and have been always since.
Laws that apply anywhere in Australia
Legal drinking age – you must be 18 or older to buy alcohol or to drink alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk.
If you do not want a refill leave your glass full. The Japanese often like to start a meal with a toast and, just beforehand, you will be plied with an alcoholic drink. Even if you do not drink, accept it and at the toast make a gesture of drinking it.
Roads and rules
The legal minimum age for driving is 18 years. Drinking and driving is prohibited. Road signs and rules follow international standards, and most signs on major roads are in Japanese and English. Vehicles have to come to a full stop before crossing any railway tracks.
It is a very serious offence to engage in sexual activity with anyone under 16 years of age, even if you are in a relationship and they agree, as the law says that they cannot consent. It is still illegal if you are both under 16 years of age. In this case, you could both be charged.
It is not illegal to become pregnant at any age, and this includes making your own decisions about the pregnancy – abortion, adoption, keeping it. Nobody has legal rights over this decision but the pregnant woman.
Teenagers (13-17 years) During adolescence, teenagers are learning to define who they are and to develop their own values, priorities and goals. Teenagers are also gaining a sense of belonging to a community and to the world around them.