Japan: Flag Desecration law Violates Free Speech

On July 17, 2026, the Japanese Diet adopted a law criminalizing the desecration of Japan's national flag. The legislation received support from the Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party, and three opposition parties in the upper house, following a June 30 lower house approval. Human Rights Watch has identified this law as a violation of the right to freedom of expression. The law specifically prohibits the public damaging of the national flag within the country.