Japan has updated its definition of rape so that the crime does not require the use of force and the age of consent is no longer 13.
The long-awaited overhaul of sex crime laws was cleared in the Japanese parliament's upper house in a unanimous vote on Friday, the BBC reported. .
The definition of rape was changed from "forcible sexual intercourse" to "non-consensual sexual intercourse" while the age of consent, which had been the same since 1907, was raised from 13 years old to 16 years old.
The laws outline eight scenarios where it is difficult for a victim to consent to sex, some of which include when the victim is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, subject to violence or threats, or is "frightened or astonished," the BBC said.
They also criminalized "photo voyeurism," or upskirting, and the grooming of minors. Meanwhile, the legal window for reporting rape was extended from 10 years to 15 years.
The change follows multiple rape acquittals that caused a national outcry and sparked the Flower Demo campaign against sexual violence.
In 2014, a man was acquitted of rape after he pinned a 15-year-old girl to a wall and had sex with her while she resisted, according to the BBC.
A Tokyo court ruled his actions did not make it "extremely difficult" for her to resist. The girl was also treated as an adult because she was over 13 years old.
A survey released by the government in 2021 showed that only about 6 percent of women and men reported an assault.