No means no: Japan passes landmark reforms to redefine rape

The World

For only the second time in over a century, Japan has passed a number of reforms to redefine the country’s rape laws. The definition of rape has now been broadened so sexual assault victims have more rights and do not have to prove they fought back against their attacker. The age of consent has also been raised from 13 to 16. Julia Kim in Tokyo tells the journey of one woman and what these reforms mean. 

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.