Tag - sex-crimes

 
Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

SEX CRIMES

The streets of the Kabukicho district in Tokyo in July 2021. Overseas, many countries — including most U.S. states — criminalize both those who sell and buy sex.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 10, 2026
Japan mulls revising anti-prostitution law to penalize sex buyers
The revision would close what critics say is a loophole to the law, which currently only penalizes sellers who solicit sex for money.
Rep. Thomas Massie (left), a Republican from Kentucky, and Rep. Ro Khanna (right), a Democrat from California, speak to members of the media outside of a Department of Justice offices in Washington on Monday. Khanna is among the members of the House of Representatives questioning some of the redactions in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Justice Department.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 10, 2026
U.S. Justice Department opens unredacted Epstein files to lawmakers
Members of the House of Representatives are questioning some of the redactions in the documents the Justice Department released.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell aboard a jet, in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 10, 2026
Epstein accomplice Maxwell seeks Trump clemency before testimony
Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to discuss her relations with Epstein.
Last week the U.S. Justice Department published a new cache of nearly 3 million government documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 6, 2026
The global maelstrom whipped up by the Epstein files
From royals to intellectuals, politicians to sport moguls, tech magnates and CEOs, the latest tranche of documents has spotlighted a staggering global web of influence.
Masaaki Kimura (center) is taken into the Metropolitan Police Department's Shinjuku Police Station in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 4, 2026
Tokyo nursery school teacher arrested for alleged sexual abuse
The suspect has denied the allegations, while dozens of boys at the facility and affiliated after-school care center have reported incidents of indecent behavior.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal of Brennon Washington, a 26-year-old U.S. airman at Kadena Air Base, finalizing his five-year prison sentence for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an underage girl in Okinawa Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 3, 2026
Japan’s top court rejects U.S. airman’s appeal in Okinawa assault case
The Supreme Court’s decision finalizes the five-year prison sentence for Brennon Washington, a 26-year-old service member at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture.
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit attend the Save the Children peace prize party at the Nobel Peace Center ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony at the Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway on Dec. 10, 2024.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 3, 2026
Apologies, resignation, royal glare: Epstein fallout grows
The release by U.S. authorities of a new cache of files on late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has caused international fallout involving high profile figures.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Department of justice on Jan. 30.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 2, 2026
Wealthy and powerful in focus after latest Epstein release
Officials said Friday they were releasing some 3 million pages of material, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images.
Britain's then-Prince Andrew kneels over a female in a combination of images released by the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington on Friday as part of a new trove of documents from its investigations into late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
WORLD
Feb 1, 2026
Ex-Prince Andrew again caught up in Epstein scandal
King Charles III’s brother is under renewed pressure to answer U.S. lawmakers’ questions about Jeffrey Epstein after the U.S. Justice Department released files on the case.
Rina Gonoi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo after reaching a settlement in a lawsuit concerning sexual assault within the Ground Self-Defense Forces, on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 27, 2026
Government settles case over sex assault of ex-SDF member
The state will pay ¥1.6 million, or more than $10,000, to Rina Gonoi, but no compensation payment or apology was offered by her former colleague, her lawyer Aiko Ota said.
Punsiripanya Phakhaphon, a former massage parlor worker in Tokyo who is suspected of brokering a Thai girl to offer sexual services at the story, in Tokyo on Wednesday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 15, 2026
Alleged broker arrested in case involving Thai girl forced to work at Tokyo massage parlor
A 38-year-old Thai woman residing in Japan is suspected of acting as a broker in a high-profile case involving a 12-year-old girl.
Japan started a new program on Tuesday to offer basically free legal support for victims and bereaved families in serious crimes whose current assets are ¥3 million or less.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 13, 2026
Legal support for crime victims begins in Japan
The assistance, both in criminal and civil procedures, is provided basically free of charge, and applications can be submitted for incidents that occurred on or after Tuesday.
The chat window for chatbot Grok on a laptop
WORLD
Jan 13, 2026
U.K.’s Starmer escalates threats against X, calling Grok ‘shameful’
The prime minister vowed to enforce a law that bans the sexualization of people’s images without consent.
Former British U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson apologized on Sunday to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse.
WORLD
Jan 11, 2026
Ex-British envoy to U.S. apologizes to Epstein victims but defends his own conduct
Britain's former U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed over his links to Jeffrey Epstein last year, apologized on Sunday to the victims of the late convicted sex offender but not for his own actions.
Then-Fukui Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto speaks during a news conference in November.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 7, 2026
Former Fukui governor’s actions could be seen as sexual assault, lawyers say
Former Gov. Tatsuji Sugimoto even messaged four female prefectural workers to the point they feared checking their phones, according to a government report.
A 39-year-old man along with his wife and common-law wife, who were arrested for posting secretly filmed sexual videos, are believed to have earned more than ¥55 million by selling the videos online.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 7, 2026
Nearly 1,000 sex videos shared in polygamous family case, police say
A man, his wife and his common-law wife are believed to have earned more than ¥55 million by selling secretly filmed videos online.
X's Grok AI tool created and published images of minors in minimal clothing, in apparent violation of its own acceptable use policy, which prohibits the sexualization of children.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 3, 2026
Grok makes sexual images of kids as users test AI guardrails
X’s AI tool created and published images of minors in minimal clothing, in apparent violation of its own acceptable use policy, which prohibits the sexualization of children.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump are shown together in this image released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 25, 2025
Epstein files appease almost no one as delays worsen
The U.S. Department of Justice had released thousands of pages of heavily redacted records and photos from investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 25, 2025
A million more Epstein documents have been found, Justice Department says
To date, the department has released about 130,000 pages of information, some of it redacted, to comply with a law passed by Congress.
The mother (center) of a Thai girl forced to perform sexual services for money at a Tokyo massage parlor is escorted by police and immigration officers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. Parts of the image have been blurred.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 24, 2025
Thai girl in Tokyo sex-work case to be returned home
The girl has expressed a desire to return to Thailand since first seeking help from the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau in September.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER