Japan Finally, At Last to Raise Age of Consent From 13 to 16
JAPAN FINALLY RAISES THE AGE OF CONSENT FOR SEX FROM 13 TO 16 AFTER OVER 100 YEARS
What do you think the age of consent should be? In general, an individual’s answer to that depends on a few things. If you’re young, you think it should be young- the the usual reasons. If you’re very archaic in your religious beliefs, you think it is up to God- which really means whenever parents are ready to “give” away their daughter. You get the idea. But most people in the developed world think it should be high enough to protect children from predators, or at least adults eager to take advantage of easily influenced youth. 16 years of age seems to be the most common benchmark. 13 years used to be common, about a hundred years ago. So why did it take Japan until now to change their age of consent from the age of 13 to 16?
SINCE 1907, THE AGE OF CONSENT IN JAPAN HAS BEEN 13 YEARS OF AGE FOR LEGAL CONSENSUAL SEX
It’s worth a hard look, considering that it is finally happening. Japan has had the age of 13 as its legal age limit for sexual relations since 1907. It took a number of high profile acquittals in 2019 to spark wide protest in Japan to spur this legal move, 4 years later. But what does it say about a country’s culture to have such a low age limit for legal sex? In the West, 16 is the usual number. Though there are a couple remaining outliers. In Germany, it’s 14. In France, 15. In the UK and most US states it is 16. 4 US states still have 15, several have 17 and 18. The age of consent is an awkward bar to measure the priorities of when it is legal to have sex with children, and why.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK THE AGE OF CONSENT SHOULD BE? WHAT IS IT WHERE YOU LIVE?
But the move in Japan makes this a conversation everywhere, again. What is sexual assault? What is consensual sex, and at what age? When is it ok to have sex with someone under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and in what context? These are all uncomfortable questions to answer, especially if a local country or state hasn’t clearly defined them. Or even more if their definitions leave any room for interpretation. Japan still has some work to do there, though raising the age of consent to 16 is a good first step. It still needs to take a long look at what the criminal penalties are, as 2 years for under age sex crimes is far less than the 5 years minimum for rape.
Where do you live, and what is the age of consent law there? It’s worth the question especially if you don’t like the answer.
