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NEWS: Kobe Man Arrested for Selling 3 Obscene Illustrations

Is that a joke?
If you really are serious then blame the American publishers for releasing it uncensored.
And blame yourself for watching it.

Touma wrote:

Is that a joke? If you really are serious then blame the American publishers for releasing it uncensored. And blame yourself for watching it.

It was a half-joke. Of course I see enforced mosaics on genitalia in art as an anachronism incompatible with contemporary liberal democracy. Still, Japanese officials have claimed that the censorship serves some sort of purpose to protect "public morals", defend against "prurient interests" or somesuch. If that's the case, then if they allow uncensored genitals in art for export, then they really do not value the morals of the people in other countries, do they? We in the States can get all of those lustful urges and...think or do other bad things or whatever else people allegedly do with uncensored genitals (I know, it's a stretch, work with me here). I mean it has to be bad (to them), or else they wouldn't censor it for the benefit of their own population, right? But we're not deserving of the same protection. That's what makes the export factor mildly insulting, even if I do think that this sort of "protection" is really dumb.

Let me see if I understand this arrest, an adult man draws some human figure with genitalia and sells it over the internet to another adult for $20 USD and now he faces two years in prision or a fine of $32,000 USD? Either I understand it wrong or that japanese law was written on 19th century european puritanism.

Let me see if I understand this arrest, an adult man draws some human figure with genitalia and sells it over the internet to another adult for $20 USD and now he faces two years in prision or a fine of $32,000 USD? Either I understand it wrong or that japanese law was written on 19th century european puritanism.

Let me see if I understand this arrest, an adult man draws some human figure with genitalia and sells it over the internet to another adult for $20 USD and now he faces two years in prision or a fine of $32,000 USD? Either I understand it wrong or that japanese law was written on 19th century european puritanism.

mdo7 wrote:

UtenaAnthy wrote: mdo7 wrote: Also Japan has censored any games with graphic violence and gore like for example Call of Duty Black Ops despite having movies and manga with over the top graphic violence like Machine Girls, Tokyo Gore Police, Suicide Club. There was edits that Japan did which is on the same level as 4kids like how Japan did for Beast Wars: Transformers. Chuck and Morgan must be bummed about that. And that Transformers: Beast Wars dub is kinda... crappy. uh, Chuck and Morgan??? I'm a little lost there, is that a reference to something??

http://chuck-nbc.wikia.com/wiki/Call_of_Duty_4

No, there's no moral or ethical reasoning behind the law that keeps it relevant in today's society. They have it because it's old and they haven't removed it yet from the books.

mangamuscle wrote:

Let me see if I understand this arrest, an adult man draws some human figure with genitalia and sells it over the internet to another adult for $20 USD and now he faces two years in prision or a fine of $32,000 USD? Either I understand it wrong or that japanese law was written on 19th century european puritanism.

Given how the "must censor porn" law was written by the US after WWII, that last statement of yours is oddly correct.

Well if it's that simple, then a routine legislative repeal would address the issue. There's an obvious constituency favoring repeal. So if the political barriers are as low as you claim, then why is it still on the books save for simple inertia?

It could be a highly unfavorable platform to have tied to your name. We never see it brought up, so there must also not be much of voice to the political opposition for that law.

The [Japanese] Supreme Court [in 1957] declared obscenity was anything "unnecessarily sexually stimulating, (which) damages the normal sexual sense of shame of ordinary people, or is against good sexual moral principles". Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3391951.stm, "Japanese manga ruled obscene"

I believe possession of porn was not yet legal in the US either. The Supreme Court didn't relax obscenity laws until the 1960's. Correct me if I'm wrong.