By Hoang Vu  November 19, 2025 | 11:26 pm PT
Kimono-clad tourists walk along Nakamise Street at Asakusa district, a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 13, 2020. Photo by Reuters
Japan’s government is considering penalties for men who purchase sex after international media recently labeled the country a “new sex tourism destination.”
Independent lawmaker Rintaro Ogata raised the issue during the Nov. 11 Lower House Budget Committee session, asking Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to consider penalties for sex service customers, Asahi newspaper reported.
Takaichi said she had asked Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi to review how the law treats buyers and to consider new regulations targeting the purchase of sex.
The anti-prostitution law enacted in 1956 punishes women who solicit sexual services but not the men who pay for them.
Lawmaker Shioumura Fumika citing foreign reports that describe Japan as a “new sex tourism country” — warned that the image of Japan as a place that fails to protect women’s dignity is spreading internationally, Chosun Biz reported.
Concerns have grown over foreign tourists prostituting Japanese women in Tokyo, particularly in Kabukicho, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported.
Under Japan’s existing law, prostitution is prohibited but not criminalized.
Japan welcomed 31.65 million foreign visitors between January and September, up 17.7% year-on-year, thanks to its weak yen, increased flight connections and relaxed visa policies.
The figure marked Japan’s fastest pace in surpassing 30 million foreign arrivals, Kyodo News reported.
AloJapan.com