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Japan is weighing a landmark reform that would penalize men who buy sex — a step lawmakers argue is essential to reducing exploitation and preventing the country from gaining a reputation as a sex-tourism destination.
The debate gained momentum after a recent parliamentary session in which Rintaro Ogata, a Diet member representing Fukuoka’s ninth district, pressed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over what he called the “asymmetric” structure of Japan’s 1956 Prostitution Prevention Law. Under the current law, women who sell sex can be punished, but men who purchase it face no penalties.
Ogata argued that this imbalance fails to protect women’s rights or dignity and has contributed to Japan’s reputation abroad as having a permissive, poorly regulated sex industry.
His remarks echoed long-standing concerns from women’s advocacy groups, who say the law entrenches a harmful power dynamic by placing legal burdens on women while shielding those who buy sex.
In response, Takaichi told lawmakers she had directed Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi to examine whether the law should be revised to penalize buyers as well.
Hiraguchi later confirmed that the ministry would begin studying possible reforms, taking into account current social conditions and the changing forms of exploitation.
Renewed scrutiny has been fueled by growing international attention on Tokyo’s Kabukicho district, one of Asia’s largest nightlife hubs.
In a separate parliamentary session on November 6, opposition lawmaker Fumika Shiomura pointed to foreign media reports suggesting that many visitors believe they can purchase sex in Tokyo without facing consequences. She warned that Japan’s perceived leniency toward exploitation is damaging its global reputation.
Prime Minister Takaichi called these reports “deeply troubling” and reaffirmed her commitment to reassessing current regulations while ramping up efforts to dismantle the organized crime networks that profit from the sex trade.
Under Japan’s current legal framework, prostitution is technically banned but not treated as a criminal offense. Instead, the law focuses on activities surrounding the sex trade — such as solicitation, coercion, and running brothels.
In practice, enforcement falls largely on female street workers and those who control them, while men who purchase sex rarely face any penalties.
Women’s rights advocates argue that this system perpetuates abuse and fails to acknowledge the vulnerabilities of young women drawn into the industry.
Yumeno Nito, founder of Colabo, a Tokyo-based nonprofit supporting exploited girls, told domestic media that many of the teens she works with exhibit trauma comparable to that of sexual assault survivors. She said the current law “criminalizes women while ignoring the demand that fuels the industry”.
The government’s review comes alongside broader measures to curb exploitation in nightlife districts. Authorities have documented cases in which male hosts pressure indebted women to sell sex in order to repay club-related debts.
To address the issue, Japan’s Diet earlier this year outlawed “romance-based” sales tactics —methods in which hosts emotionally manipulate customers into making large credit purchases.
Under the revised Entertainment Business Law, which took effect in June, offenders can face prison terms or substantial fines.
Police data underscores the scale of the problem: 2,776 prostitution cases tied to host clubs were reported in the previous year, representing nearly 40 percent of all prostitution incidents in Japan in 2024.
*The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author.*
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