Japan Passes New Law Inspired By Tragic Death Of Hana Kimura

It has been just over two years since Hana Kimura took her own life. Kimura had been receiving racist abuse from online fans of the reality show Terrace House, on which she was a contestant. The government of Japan has taken a step towards possibly curbing such insults in the future.

According to CNN, the Japanese government passed legislation on Monday that raised the punishment for "online insults" to "up to one year in prison and a fine of 300,000 yen (approx. $2,200)." The law had certain critics worried about the effect it would have on free speech in the country, so a provision was added to reassess the law in 3 years "to gauge its impact on freedom of expression." Originally the punishment for "online insults" had been no more than 30 days in jail and a fine of 10,000 yen (approx. $75). One man who was found guilty of cyberbullying Kimura was fined 9,000 yen (approx. $66), and also reportedly apologized to Kimura's family.

The new law defines the difference between insults and defamation, stating that insults are demeaning comments that do not present any kind of facts, while defamation refers to demeaning comments while pointing to specific facts.

Kimura was 22 when she took her own life, and her death inspired fellow Terrace House members to come forward with their experiences of online harassment. The show was eventually canceled. Hana's mother Kyoko Kimura has been campaigning for stronger anti-bullying laws in the wake of her daughter's death, as well as founding the "Remember Hana" organization.

There have been two Hana Kimura Memorial Shows in Japan, one in 2021 and another in 2022 that celebrate Kimura's memory through the art of professional wrestling. Numerous wrestlers have paid tribute to her