Japan expands the definition of rape after years of protest
Japan’s parliament passed legislation to redefine rape as nonconsensual sexual intercourse – removing the provisions regarding use of force – and raise the age of consent from 13 to 16.
Japan
This archive collects solutions-journalism stories and milestones from Japan — covering advances in health, technology, environment, community resilience, and public policy. Each entry highlights real progress and the people and systems behind it.
Japanese higher court rules in favor of marriage equality
The ruling adds pressure on the Japanese parliament to legalize same-sex marriages. Japan remains the only country in the G7 that has not legalized marriage equality.
Japan approves first abortion pill
Japan’s first abortion pill won approval in 2023, and clinical trials there showed 93% of participants had a complete abortion within 24 hours using the two-pill combination. Until that vote, Japan had been one of the last developed nations offering only surgical options, including a method the World Health Organization calls obsolete. The ministry took the unusual step of opening a public comment period before deciding, drawing strong responses from doctors and advocates who had pushed for years. The approval is historic, though spousal consent requirements still shape who can actually access care. As reproductive rights contract in some countries and expand in others, Japan’s shift is a reminder that progress is uneven, hard-won, and worth celebrating wherever it lands.
In a world first, Japenese scientists use artificial DNA to kill cancer cells
Artificial DNA that turns cancer’s own biology against itself marks a genuine conceptual leap in oncology. Japanese researchers at the University of Tokyo engineered synthetic molecules that lie dormant until they detect a chemical cancer cells overproduce — then restructure themselves into a signal the immune system reads as a threat, destroying the tumor from within. Early tests spanned multiple cancer types, suggesting broad potential. This kind of precision — working with the body’s existing defenses rather than overwhelming them — is exactly the direction cancer medicine has been reaching toward, and this research moves that goal meaningfully closer.
Tokyo begins issuing same-sex couples partnership certificates
Some hope this may be a step towards the whole of Japan embracing equality. It is currently the only country in the G7 group of developed nations which doesn’t recognize same-sex unions.
Tokyo to require that new homes have solar panels from 2025
The move will make Tokyo the first prefecture in Japan to require that solar panels be installed on all new houses.
Nintendo announces it will recognize same-sex partnerships even though Japan doesn’t
The Japanese video game company Nintendo has announced that it will extend marriage benefits to employees who are in same-sex partnerships.
Japan withdraws funding for major coal projects in Indonesia and Bangladesh, effectively canceling them
Two planned coal-fired power plants, one in Indonesia and the other in Bangladesh, have had their funding withdrawn by the Japanese government, as part of Tokyo’s decision to no longer bankroll coal projects in either country.
Japan successfully tests giant turbine that generates renewable energy using deep ocean currents
During future tests, developer IHI Corp is hoping to generate two megawatts, with the hopes of kicking off commercial operations in the 2030s, Bloomberg reports.
Fastest carbon dioxide catcher heralds new age for direct air capture
The Tokyo Metropolitan University team’s new technology promises unprecedented performance and robustness in direct air capture systems.