Japan redefines rape and raises age of consent in landmark move

Japan has passed laws that redefine rape and raise the age of consent in a landmark overhaul of sex crime laws.

The definition of rape was broadened to “non-consensual sexual intercourse” from “forcible sexual intercourse”, aligning Japanese law’s definition with other countries.

The legal age of consent, previously at only 13, has been raised to 16 years.

Previous laws did not protect those coerced into having sex and deterred reporting of such attacks, critics say.