Japan passes bill to make online insults punishable by jail time, following suicide of Hana Kimura, star of Netflix show ‘Terrace House’

Bill gained traction after 22-year-old Hana Kimura, a reality TV star was believed to have committed suicide after receiving hateful online messages

Proposed changes will mean up to 1 year in prison and a fine of up to to US$2,221 – current penalty for insults is less than 30 days detention and a US$74 fine

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Japan has passed a bill to make online insults punishable by jail time. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:16pm, 13 Jun 2022Updated: 3:20pm, 13 Jun 2022

A bill to introduce prison terms as part of tougher penalties for online insults was passed on Monday at an upper house plenary session, marking a major step toward tackling cyberbullying in Japan.

Moves to amend the country’s Penal Code gained traction after Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler and cast member on the popular Netflix reality show “Terrace House,” was believed to have committed suicide in May 2020 after receiving a barrage of hateful messages on social media.

Parliamentary debate has centred on how to strike a delicate balance between tougher regulations and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and others have opposed the revision, arguing that it could stifle legitimate criticism of politicians and public officials.

The bill was passed after reaching an agreement with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that a supplementary provision, stipulating that a review will be conducted within three years of its enactment to determine if it unfairly restricts free speech, would be added.

In Japan, insults are distinguished from defamation in that the former publicly demeans someone without referring to a specific action but both are punishable under the law.