Government panel urges penalties for people who seek out sex workers

Japan’s differing treatment over those offering sex services and those who pay for them has drawn criticism in recent years amid concerns over street prostitution, especially around Tokyo’s Kabukicho entertainment district. | AFP-JIJI

Sep 17, 2026

A Justice Ministry expert panel finalized a report Thursday urging the introduction of penalties for people who seek out sex workers for their services, as Japan weighs its first major overhaul of its anti-prostitution law in decades.

The panel recommended that some form of regulation be introduced for those who offer to pay for sex, which is currently not punishable under the law.

The Justice Ministry will now consider whether to amend the law and what any revision should cover, based on the panel’s conclusions. A bill to amend the law may be submitted to parliament as early as this fall, according to media reports.

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