The Prostitution Prevention Law is a law in Japan that aims to prevent prostitution, punish third parties involved in the trade and to protect and rehabilitate women involved in prostitution. It is also known as the 'Anti-Prostitution Law'. The law came into force on April 1, 1957, and all provisions were fully effective on April 1 of the following year. As the law does not punish prostitution per se,, it is viewed as a preventive law rather than a prohibition law.
History
Japan has a history of supervised prostitution dating back to the Kamakura period. In 1618, during the Edo period, Yūkaku areas were set up and prostitution regulated. From the late 1880s onwards, various groups, including the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and Purity Society lobbied for the end of legalised prostitution. The Japanese government resisted these demands on the grounds that they provided effective control of STIs and that without them men's sexual desires would lead to increased cases of rape and sex crimes. Under pressure from the abolitionists, in May 1934 the Home Ministry announced that licensed prostitution would be abolished in the near future, but no action was taken. During the American occupation of japan following WW2, prostitution boomed. In January 1946 the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, issued an order to abolish licensed prostitution. This led to the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act being passed in 1948. A bill prohibiting prostitution was put before the Diet in 1947 but was defeated. Female Diet members attempted to introduce various anti-prostitution measures until in May 1956 they succeeded with the Prostitution Prevention Law.
Main articles
The main articles of the legislation are as follows:
* Article 1: States that: 'Prostitution harms the dignity of the individual, is against sexual virtue and disrupts the proper morals of society'. It defines the purpose of the Act as punishing those who promote prostitution and preventing prostitution by taking measures for guidance, protection and rehabilitation to women who are likely to prostitute themselves.
* Article 2: Defines prostitution as 'having sexual intercourse with a non-specified person in exchange for compensation or the promise of such'. No punishment is proscribed.
* Article 3: Prohibits being a counterpart to prostitution but no punishment is proscribed.
Chapter 2 Criminal Procedure - The following acts are prohibited:
