What is Online Defamation?
Posts on social media, forums, and review sites that lower an individual's or company's social reputation may constitute defamation (Criminal Code Art. 230) or insult (Art. 231) under Japanese law.
Sender Disclosure Request Overview
The sender disclosure request (Provider Liability Limitation Act Art. 5) is the legal procedure to identify anonymous posters.
2022 Reform
The October 2022 reform streamlined the process from two stages to a single court proceeding, reducing the timeline from 1-2 years to approximately 6 months to 1 year.
Typical Damages Awarded
- Individual defamation: ¥300K-1M
- Corporate reputation damage: ¥500K-3M
- Sexual content: ¥1M-2M