Japan Enacts Law Criminalizing National Flag Desecration

Japan's Diet enacted a law on July 17, 2026, criminalizing desecration of the national flag, completing passage through both chambers. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi championed the measure as part of her nationalist legislative agenda. Opponents, including Human Rights Watch, call it a threat to free expression under Article 21 of Japan's constitution. Courts will likely face the question of whether to narrow or strike down the statute.