In wake of reality star Hana Kimura's death, Japan approves tougher defamation penalties to include prison

Japan's parliament approved tougher penalties for criminal defamation Monday in a move prompted by a bullied wrestler's suicide and that is raising free speech concerns.

Parliamentary deliberations on toughening the defamation law began in January after Hana Kimura took her own life at 22.

Kimura faced bullying and insults on social media in 2020 after appearing on "Terrace House," a hugely popular reality show on Japan's Fuji TV and Netflix, about three men and three women temporarily living together at a shared house in Tokyo.