Japan expands the definition of rape and raises the age of consent to 16 from 13

Members of the House of Councilors vote on a series of legislation to broaden the definition of rape in Japan. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images)

For decades, Japanese law said children as young as 13 were old enough to consent to sexual activities.

The country also only convicted cases of rape that proved the victim tried to fight back. These century-old laws were part of a troubling culture where survivors rarely reported their assault and assailants largely went unpunished.