Japan considers fines for men who buy sex in major policy shift

Lawmakers are pushing to penalise the demand for sex work after warnings that Japan is gaining a reputation as a sex tourism hotspot

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Men approach young women standing on a street corner in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Eric Fior

Published: 3:20pm, 18 Nov 2025Updated: 3:35pm, 18 Nov 2025

Japan’s government is weighing the introduction of penalties for men who buy sex, marking a potential sea change in the country’s approach to prostitution.

Lawmakers and women’s advocacy groups argue that current legislation, dating back to the 1950s, fuels exploitation and risks the country being branded a sex tourism hotspot.

The issue was thrust into centre stage last week, when a member of parliament pressed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to address what he called the “asymmetric” nature of the Prostitution Prevention Law 1956.

Speaking during a Budget Committee session on November 11, House of Representatives member for Fukuoka’s ninth district, Rintaro Ogata, said the current law offered scant protection for women’s rights or dignity, the Asahi newspaper reported.

An older man approaches a woman near a park in Tokyo’s Kabukicho nightlife district. Photo: Eric Fior

The 1956 statute, originally drafted to clean up red-light districts and discourage public nuisance, punishes women who solicit their services but not the men who pay them.

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Japan considers fines for men who buy sex in major policy shift

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Lawmakers are pushing to penalise the demand for sex work after warnings that Japan is gaining a reputation as a sex tourism hotspot

Lawmakers are pushing to penalise the demand for sex work after warnings that Japan is gaining a reputation as a sex tourism hotspot