Members of an expert panel of the Justice Ministry have broadly shared the view that certain regulations should be introduced for acts of soliciting prostitutes by buyers, currently not subject to punishment under the antiprostitution law. This was included in a draft of a report presented to Monday’s meeting of the panel discussing regulations concerning prostitution. The draft was prepared by Waseda University professor Kayoko Kitagawa, chair of the panel.
Under the current law, acts related to selling sex, such as soliciting customers in public places, can be punishable with up to six months in prison or up to ¥20,000 in fines. According to the draft, many members of the panel argued in its meetings held so far 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. Among acts that could be potentially subject to punishment is roaming around the street for the purpose of looking for prostitutes, the draft says.
But it also took note of an opinion that it would be difficult to tell with objective action if someone is attempting to seek prostitutes. Meanwhile, panel members agreed that whether to introduce penalties for the act of buying sex, itself, should be considered carefully as such a move could encourage prostitution to go underground and increase the risks for those who sell sex, according to the draft. Panel members have also discussed whether the current law should remain unchanged.
Some called for abolishing the current provisions on punishing the acts of soliciting sex buyers, arguing that many of those engaged in prostitution often require support. However, a majority of members called for maintaining the provisions, noting that scrapping them could send the wrong message that prostitution is tolerated. Panel members also stressed the importance of providing sex sellers with protection and support tailored to their respective circumstances, as needed.
To strengthen deterrence against related crimes, the panel agreed to increase the upper limit on the fines, according to the draft report. Many members, meanwhile, took a cautious stance about expanding the definition of prostitution to include anal intercourse, arguing that public authorities should be careful about intervening in sexual activity, which is highly personal. Last November, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi to examine the advisability of penalizing sex buyers.
The expert panel was set up this March. Monday’s meeting was the eighth since then. The Justice Ministry will work on necessary legal steps after the panel finalizes its report.
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