TOKYO – Japan will launch a panel of experts to study tougher penalties for defamation, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said Tuesday, amid growing awareness of personal abuse online directed at celebrities and public figures.
The panel will examine whether the revised Penal Code, enacted in 2022, properly addresses abusive behavior, such as personal attacks on social media, and assess whether it places unfair restrictions on freedom of expression, Suzuki said.
Discussions are set to begin as early as September, in line with a clause in the amended law requiring a review after three years. Currently, defamation can result in a prison term of up to one year, a maximum fine of 300,000 yen ($2,100), or lighter penalties including detention.
Public pressure for the law grew after Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler and cast member of the Netflix reality show “Terrace House,” reportedly died by suicide in 2020 following a barrage of hateful messages on social media.
According to the Justice Ministry, fines have been imposed in about 90 cases over the three years since the law came into effect, but no instances of imprisonment or short-term detention have been confirmed during that period.
The National Police Agency, meanwhile, said the number of online abuse and defamation cases increased from 52 in 2022 to 75 in 2023 and 100 in 2024.
During parliamentary deliberations on the legal amendment, some lawmakers voiced concern that harsher penalties could discourage legitimate online criticism of politicians and public officials.
As a result, ruling and opposition parties agreed to include a supplementary clause requiring a review after three years, with input from experts.
