Regulations on Japanese Video Games for Protection of Children in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, video games are generally regulated by self-imposed control and voluntary ratings by third parties, rather than by law. There is no special statute tailored to regulate video game software. Some people criticize this absence of law as being too lenient when it comes to protecting children. There are few studies published in English that are written by Japanese legal scholars that review regulations intended to protect children in Japan. Using a comparative law approach, comparing Japanese law with U.S. law, this paper contends that there are several tools to control and regulate video games for the purpose of protecting children. The use of legal devices is simply one of several means to achieve this goal. Even if legal regulations are enacted, they may not be very effective. Moreover, they could even have negative impacts on the freedom of expression that is protected under the Constitution of Japan.

Keywords: video game, protect children, regulation, constitution