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Total score
3.5
Japan
Japan has made very limited progress on ending childhood sexual violence at home and around the world.
2025 Policy indicators for Japan
Japan maintains a minimal but growing level of Official Development Assistance at 0.44% of GNI (1), and one of the G7’s lowest contributions to UNICEF, at just USD 3 per capita (2).
Japan has not abolished criminal statutes of limitations in relation to childhood sexual violence (3).
Japan has some protections in place to foster a safe internet, but they are inadequate. 2,385 criminal investigations into child violence cases were conducted by the police in 2023, 13.4% of which involved instances of childhood sexual violence (4).
Japan currently lacks a formal National Survivors Council. However, promising grassroots momentum is building through a coalition of organisations including ChildFund Japan, ECPAT/STOP Japan, Kyofukai, BeBrave Japan, World Vision Japan, and Spring. The coalition is actively advocating for the establishment of both a Survivors Council and Child Advocacy Centers, and has gained support from key members of the Diet and within the government (5).
While Japan has established several National Action Plans, including the latest ‘Promotion of Comprehensive Measures to Prevent Sexual Violence Against Children’ developed in 2024, critical gaps remain regarding protections against child sexual abuse materials – including Manga, Anime, virtual and/or AI-generated content (6).
- OECD. (2023). ODA as percent of GNI (grant equivalent) in 2023, by Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members
- UNICEF. (2023) Funding Compendium.
- Miguel Hurtado et al. (Forthcoming). SOLs Report.
- Kyodo News, Japan police report record high 123,000 child abuse cases in 2023.
- We have consulted with leading survivor advocates across the G7
- We have consulted with leading survivor advocates across the G7
See the G7 countries
Indicators
- Financial investment in development aid for childhood protection
- Elimination of statutes of limitations in relation to childhood sexual violence in criminal law
- Implementation of national action plans or strategy to address childhood sexual violence
- Engagement with survivors through a government-supported or endorsed national survivor council
- Safe internet
About the G7 Scorecard
This 2025 #BeBrave G7 Scorecard builds on the first iteration of the analysis conducted in 2022, assessing each G7 country on how they are responding to childhood sexual violence at home and around the world.
Previous G7 Communiqués have made bold commitments to ending sexual violence against children. On the G7 forum's 50th anniversary the scorecard, based on a strategic set of policy indicators, assesses whether the G7 has delivered on these.
