Phone harassment is a general term for harassment conducted via telephone. It encompasses repeated silent calls, persistent calls during late-night or early-morning hours, threatening conversations, calls containing sexual remarks, and high-volume calls that disrupt business operations. It is broadly divided into stalker-type harassment targeting specific individuals and aggressive telemarketing solicitation targeting the general public.
Phone harassment is regulated under multiple laws. The Anti-Stalking Act prohibits repetitive phone calls, faxes, and emails to a specific person as "stalking behavior," with violators facing up to 1 year imprisonment or a fine of up to 1 million yen. The 2021 amendment also added GPS-based location tracking to the regulated behaviors. The Intimidation offense (Penal Code Article 222) applies when threats are made against "life, body, freedom, honor, or property," carrying up to 2 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 300,000 yen. The Obstruction of Business offense (Penal Code Article 233) applies when mass harassment calls disrupt business operations.
When victimized, evidence preservation is the top priority. Enable call recording and document the date, time, frequency, and content of calls. Use Number Display to identify the caller's number and save screenshots. Once evidence is gathered, consult your local police station. Police can issue a "warning" to the perpetrator, and if the behavior continues, a "prohibition order" can be issued. Violating a prohibition order carries enhanced penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 2 million yen.
For immediate defense, call blocking is effective. In addition to blocking specific numbers, setting a blanket block on withheld number calls helps against perpetrators who change numbers repeatedly. In serious cases, consider changing your phone number or seeking a restraining order through an attorney. See Stalker Phone Harassment for legal details and Evidence Collection for Phone Harassment for specific preservation methods.