Justice Ministry panel may call for regulating acts to solicit prostitutes
Panel members argued that the current situation in which people seeking to buy sex are not punishable lacks balance and agreed that some sort of regulations are necessary.
Members of a Justice Ministry expert panel broadly agree that regulations should be introduced for acts of soliciting prostitutes, who are currently not subject to punishment under the existing antiprostitution law. This view was presented in a draft report discussed during the panel's Monday meeting. The draft, prepared by Waseda University professor Kayoko Kitagawa, chair of the panel, highlights the imbalance in the current system where those seeking sexual services are not punished, while buyers can face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to ¥20,000 for soliciting customers in public.
The panel's discussions have centered around potential regulations, including punishing individuals who roam the streets in search of prostitutes, though members also acknowledged the difficulty in objectively determining such actions. They debated whether to penalize the act of buying sex, fearing it might push the industry underground and endanger sex workers.
Some panel members advocated for abolishing current provisions on punishing sex buyers, arguing that many sex workers need support, but a majority favored keeping these provisions to avoid the message that prostitution is tolerated. The panel also stressed the need for tailored protection and support for sex workers while maintaining caution about expanding the definition of prostitution to include anal intercourse, deeming it a highly personal matter.
The panel's recommendations will guide the Justice Ministry's legal steps following the finalization of the report.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
