10 Super Weird Laws In Japan That Will Shock You

Here are some weird and shocking laws in Japan that you might not know about:

1. You can’t be fat. Well, not exactly, but there is a law called Metabo Law that requires citizens between 40 and 74 years old to have their waist measurements checked annually. If they exceed the recommended limits, they may face fines or mandatory counseling.
2. You can’t bring medicine to Japan. Japan is very strict on what medications are allowed into the country, and some common over-the-counter drugs in other countries may be illegal in Japan. For example, Adderall, a medication for attention deficit disorder, is banned in Japan and could land you in jail if you bring it with you.
3. War is illegal. Japan’s constitution, written after World War II, renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits Japan from maintaining any armed forces for offensive purposes.
4. You can’t smoke outdoors. Well, you can, but only in designated smoking areas. Smoking on the street is prohibited in many cities and prefectures in Japan, and you could face a fine if you are caught.
5. You can’t make your own beer. Homebrewing is illegal in Japan unless you have a license, which is very difficult and expensive to obtain. The law states that you need a minimum annual output of 60 kiloliters to qualify for a license, which is equivalent to about 15,850 gallons.
6. There are different laws for men and women around remarrying. If a woman gets divorced in Japan, she has to wait six months before she can remarry, unless she can prove that she is not pregnant. This law is meant to prevent confusion over the paternity of children. However, there is no such waiting period for men.
7. You can’t clone people. Japan is one of the few countries that has a law explicitly banning human cloning, both for reproductive and research purposes. The law was enacted in 2001 and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million yen.
8. You can go to jail for showing your thighs. Well, not exactly, but there is a law that prohibits people from exposing their genitals in public, which includes the area between the navel and the knees. This law was originally intended to prevent indecent exposure, but it has been used to arrest people for wearing skimpy clothing or underwear.
9. There was a statute of limitations for murder until recently. Until 2010, Japan had a law that allowed murderers to escape prosecution if they managed to evade capture for 15 years after committing the crime. This law was abolished after public outcry over several high-profile cases that remained unsolved.
10. You must keep the light on if dancing after midnight. This is another law that was recently changed, but until 2015, Japan had a law that required nightclubs and bars to stop playing music and turn on the lights after midnight, unless they had a special license. This law was meant to prevent prostitution and drug use, but it was widely ignored by many venues