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NEWS: Manga Ruled Obscene

Tempest: I thought that prostitution in Japan is ok, but having sex with a prostitute under 18 is illegal. (At least only because of recent legistlation.)

under an Antiprostitution Law in Japan, prostitution is deemed illegal, but in effect it is permitted to exist so long as authorities can control it (Morrison 3)

Most Japanese men will react the same way when they are shown a women's breasts that a North American man would in the same circumstances (the exact reaction will very from person to person of course... teenagers are likely to explode on the spot).

Another completely unrelated place that they are very different in terms of their laws an what not has to do with the age of consent. The age on consent you probably all know is 18 in the United States, but it's 14 in Japan (it's also 14 in Canada by the way). However prostitution, while rampant, is illegal.

-t

age of consent here is 14 as far as I know it's always been 18... not that it stops anybody.

RyoShin X wrote:

As I understand it, and I could be wrong, the Japanese take a very different view on sexuality

Your understanding of the issue is not quite spot on. Japanese people still see female breasts in a very similar manner as North Americans.

Most Japanese men will react the same way when they are shown a women's breasts that a North American man would in the same circumstances (the exact reaction will very from person to person of course... teenagers are likely to explode on the spot).

But they are much more liberal in terms of what can be shown on television and other media than the United States is. For starters, non-sexual nudity of children is always considered perfectly okay. Take for example the nudity you will see in many children's anime and manga. Additionally, harmless above the waist nudity of adult women is permitted in the media. But you won't see Japanese women walking around topless on a hot day or at the beach...

Two things that are big hang-ups are adult male genitilia and pubic hair. They've loosened up about Pubic hair in the past couple of years, but the depiction of pubic hair and the genitals is generally considerd obscene by law. Professinal Japanese pornography always censors that stuff out (live, manga and anime). Doujin type pron general leaves everything in though, and I suspect that this case was in relation to something of the sort.

Another completely unrelated place that they are very different in terms of their laws an what not has to do with the age of consent. The age on consent you probably all know is 18 in the United States, but it's 14 in Japan (it's also 14 in Canada by the way). However prostitution, while rampant, is illegal.

-t

Another completely unrelated place that they are very different in terms of their laws an what not has to do with the age of consent. The age on consent you probably all know is 18 in the United States, but it's 14 in Japan (it's also 14 in Canada by the way). However prostitution, while rampant, is illegal.

As far as Perfect Blue is concerned, her photo shoots, which had pubic hair in them, where not done in a "sexual nature." It has been recently that the laws have loosened [as stated before] and can be seen in many forms of pornography and mainstream media now. However, when it stops being common nudity, it is still censored out. Additionally, if anyform of the genetalia can be discerned, then it will be censored in all forms.

Lost_Toys wrote:

As far as Perfect Blue is concerned, her photo shoots, which had pubic hair in them, where not done in a "sexual nature." It has been recently that the laws have loosened [as stated before] and can be seen in many forms of pornography and mainstream media now. However, when it stops being common nudity, it is still censored out. Additionally, if anyform of the genetalia can be discerned, then it will be censored in all forms.

Essentially the answer I was about to give, thanks for saving me some time.

RantingOtaku wrote:

age of consent here is 14 as far as I know it's always been 18... not that it stops anybody.

Age of consent in Canada is 14 with restrictions. Most Canadians are unaware of this law and simply assume that it is the same as what they see on american TV shows. Same can be said for most Canadian laws.

It is illegal for a person in a position of power or influence (ie: Family member, teacher, baby sitter, boss, interviewer, potentially a friend of the family) to have sex with a person between the ages of 14 and 17.

However, should the person be in no position to unfairly intimidate or influence the minor into having sex with them it is perfectly legal.

-t

Yes that is true, but I don’t recall that report saying that the said “genitalia” was being portrayed in a sexually penetrative situation. Just that "Bodies were drawn in a lifelike manner with little attention to concealment (of genitalia), making for sexually explicit expression and deeming the book pornographic matter," Mr Nakatani said. Now the same could be ideally said for Perfect Blue as well as it has crossed this apparent line by this definition, which just highlights just how extraordinary this ruling appears. I’d be interested in seeing if the ruling is upheld in the appeal case.