Media Law in Japan

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Constitutional Framework

The legal regulation of the media in Japan is anchored by Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan (1946), which provides: “Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. No censorship shall be maintained. The secrecy of any means of communication shall not be violated.” Article 21 establishes two distinct but interrelated guarantees: the substantive freedom of expression (including press freedom) and the prohibition of prior restraint (the “no censorship” clause). The latter provision is one of the strongest prohibitions of censorship in any constitutional instrument: unlike the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which has been interpreted to permit prior restraints in exceptional circumstances (such as national security), Article 21’s categorical language has led Japanese courts to apply a more stringent standard to any form of pre-publication restraint.

Media Law on ExcellentWiki - Legal Encyclopedia

Media Law in Japan

The Constitutional Framework