Laws in Japan
How Japan is classified on 40 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal (broad reasons) Abortion is permitted on broad grounds including economic or social reasons.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- Surrogacy
- Unregulated Surrogacy remains unregulated in Japan despite a 2008 proposal to ban commercial arrangements.
- Organ Donor Consent
- Opt-in (explicit consent) Japan's 1997 law regulates donation, implying consent is required rather than presumed.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Legal Cryptocurrency is legal to own and trade.
Daily Life
- Drinking in Public
- Legal Public drinking is legal and a common custom, with no specific prohibitions.
- Public Smoking Bans
- Minimal restrictions Japan has no national smoking ban, with restrictions limited to local ordinances and specific areas.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Banned Japan's fur farming industry is closed as the last farm shut down in 2016.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Dog Meat
- Legal / not prohibited Dog meat consumption is not currently prohibited by law, despite historical bans.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Taxed / charged Plastic bags are legal but carry a mandatory charge or tax.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- Under 14 Minimum working age: 12.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 16–17 The age of consent is 16.
- Sex Work
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal under the 1956 Anti-Prostitution Law, though enforcement is loose.
- Pornography
- Restricted Pornography is legal only if sexual genitals are censored; uncensored distribution is illegal.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available by mutual consent without fault.
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Not recognized Japan does not legally recognize non-binary gender on official documents.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Limited (step-child / single) Joint adoption is not open to same-sex couples; step-child or single-person adoption is.
- Incest Laws
- Legal between adults
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law criminalises Holocaust denial.
- Flag Desecration
- Criminal offense Desecrating the national flag is a criminal offense under a newly enacted law.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban No legal ban on conversion therapy.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- Gun Laws
- Highly restrictive / banned Civilian firearm ownership is almost entirely prohibited; only shotguns and air rifles are possible after a strict licensing process.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned Corporal punishment has been banned in all settings in Japan since April 2020.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
- Jury Trials
- Limited use / mixed courts Lay judges participate in criminal trials for certain severe crimes alongside professional judges.
Substances
- Cannabis
- Illegal Cannabis is illegal for all purposes.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 20.
- Smoking Age
- 19+ Minimum age to buy tobacco: 20.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Illegal Psilocybin is a controlled substance; possession is a criminal offence.
- Salvia Divinorum
- Illegal Possession of salvia divinorum is a criminal offence.
- E-Cigarettes
- Sales banned Nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are banned, while non-nicotine ones are legal.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.