It wasn’t until recent years that the Japanese government began to actively tackle the issue of human trafficking.  After the US State Department put Japan on a sex-trade watch list in 2004 (the only developed nation on the list), the Japanese government began to implement a series of laws and regulations that criminalized trafficking and tightened visa controls.  On December 7, 2004), the government announced Japan’s Action Plan of Measures to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

The Japanese Government’s Counter-Measure for Human Trafficking:

Laws in Japan Combatting Human Trafficking

To read more about the government’s actions to prevent, prosecute and protect against human trafficking, click here.

The Human Rights Bureau of Ministry of Justice (English)

Action Plan of Measures to Combat Human Trafficking (2009, in Japanese)

Plan for the Elimination of Child Pornography (July 2010, in Japanese)

Progress Report for the Action Plan of Measures to Combat Human Trafficking (August 2008, in Japanese)