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Theodoore Staton
Mr. Phillips
English III
7 December 2015
Anti-Rape:
Rape is a huge global issue that is happening everyday around us and
you dont even know it. Innocent women are being targeted everyday all
around the world and little to nothing is being changed in the legal system to
help resolve or slow down this problem. Women repeatedly speak out after
these things happen to them, saying how they feel as if they lost their
dignity therefore nothing would ever feel the same anymore. A number of
laws and movements have been set in place to prevent rape. Such as the
Anti-rape movement which was a movement that attempted to change the
communities attitudes toward the violence against women. A more strict
Anti-Rape law is needed because some people do not see the seriousness of
sexual assault toward women.
No one can deny that the law system does not see sexual assault on
women as a serious topic. There were more reported rapes in Japan in 2002
than it was in the entire United States alone. In late August, 24 year old Mika
Kobayashi was raped by a man asking for directions. My dignity was
damaged so much I felt like my soul was killed. Said Kobayashi. A 72 year-

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old man was accused of rape while already 3 years into his already 12year prison term because of women making false accusations of Sexual
assault/Rape (Osaka). Hiroshi Yanagihara, a man who has already served his
full prison sentence, then well after serving his sentence, he is found
innocent of rape (Asahi Shimbun).
Experts say how little the law enforcements of japan actually care or
has much sympathy for rape victims. "There is still widespread belief in 'rape
myths, said Masayo Niwa, an expert on Rape myths. "Victims don't report
cases because they think society can't be trusted to believe them," she said.
(Chiska Fujioka).
Studies show japan has 10.11 rapes per million and is ranked 52nd out
of 57 (UNODC). Since rape happens so infrequently, the writer can only
speculate that law enforcement officials in some cultures may view such acts
as a part of their cultural norm. Regardless of the country /culture, rape is an
abominable act and should be punished with the highest extent of the law.
Regardless of the country/culture women feel a loss of dignity when
they become a victim of rape. This is particularly important because when a
womans dignity has diminished, it has a direct effect on the victim not only
physically, but psychologically. Unfortunately in Japan law enforcers dont see
rape as important because of how little it happens in the area. Law
enforcements of japan believe that rape victims provoke the aggressor, and
could easily avoid rape encounters. For example He asked me what I was

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wearing, how much I had drunk that night (Rachel Halle). The officer
interrogating the victim is only asking questions that places the blame on the
victim. In 2003 the number of rapes in japan hit a high of 2,472 and has
been decreasing slowly as fewer rapes are reported. The Tokyo rape crisis
center says that there are 10-20 victims for every 1 rape that gets reported.
In japan, rape is a crime that requires a formal complaint by a victim. Many
cases end up in the settlement out of court and rapists go free(Naomi
Tjima).
The key to rape being viewed as important socially/culturally in japan,
is for the victims to report the crimes. There are more crimes of rape
committed than reported, due in part to the embarrassment of having to
relive such a horrific event through questions and answers, and in extreme
cases, re-enactments of the crimes. Reenacting rape on victims can cause
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because the victim has to go back and think
of every little detail of the traumatic event (Jeffrey W).
In japan there are words for different types of rape, the common word
is called Tsujo (A common/usual rape), a violent rape by a stranger. The other
is call Fushizen, (an unnatural/unusual rape), rape by an acquaintance.
(Rachel Halle). The Tsujo rapes are reported more often than the Fushizen
rapes. Fushizen rapes are not taken seriously. In the case of the
acquaintance rapes in Japan, the victim is asked if they would like the
attacker to be convicted, unlike some other countries where rape falls under
public prosecution and does not need the victims consent to investigate.

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In Japan, saying no is not enough, the use of threats or violence also

needs to be present (Rachel Halle). Also important to note, is that having sex
without a condom without permission or knowingly transmitting an STD is
not punishable at any law in Japan as oppose to the U.S. thousands of rape
cases in japan go un reported in Japan every year. There is nowhere to turn
for support, and the laws do not offer sufficient protection as they are
written. Victims are afraid to speak out because of fear of embarrassment.
No one would have expected this of The worlds safest country-Japan.

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Works Cited
"Foreign Student's Account of Treatment in Rape Case Points to Gaps in
Japan's Safety Myth | The Japan Times." Japan Times RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
"Little Sympathy for Rape Victims in Japan." Reuters. Thomson Reuters,
15 May 2007. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
"Revision of Japan's Archaic Sex Crime Laws Falling Short: Critics | The
Japan Times." Japan Times RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Why Are the Rape Statistics for Japan so Low?" - Quora. N.p., n.d. Web.
06 Dec. 2015.
"JapanToday." Japan Today RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2015