The United States has censured Japan for failing to halt the trafficking of women and children for sex, and for ongoing "conditions of forced labor" within a government-run training program for non-Japanese.
In its annual review of human trafficking worldwide, the U.S. State Department on Monday called Japan a "destination, source and transit country" for people subjected to forced labor and sexual exploitation, urging the government to enact a comprehensive anti-trafficking law and offer specialized care for victims.
The 2015 Trafficking in Persons report has some positive reading. It credits the government for "making significant efforts" to meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, noting that in 2014 it conducted a comprehensive review of the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) and submitted a bill to punish perpetrators of forced labor.