Japan has often been criticised for its approach to child pornography. Although the law was changed in 2003 following international pressure to make distribution of material featuring pornographic images of children illegal, possession of such images remains legal. The proposed revisions to the law aim to make possession illegal.
Despite the fact that these laws will serve to protect children from sexual abuse, comments from Japanese netizens seem to demonstrate an increasing concern with what they call the “regulation of expression”.
Last year, there were proposals that so-called “porn corners” be abolished from convenience stores, and with the proposed revisions by the government, the number of people who fear that this law may extend its reach into the areas of regulating anime and manga seems to be growing.
From Yahoo! Japan:
Liberal Democratic Party, New Komei Party and Restoration Party Submit Proposals For Revisions To Child Pornography Law
On May 29, three political parties, the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komei Party, and the Japan Restoration Party, jointly submitted proposals for revisions to in Japan’s child pornography law to the Lower House. They will now aim for the revisions to be enacted in the Diet. The proposed revisions will prohibit simple possession of child pornography, which is not regulated under current law. They also re-establish the regulation that possession of child pornography for “the purpose of personal sexual satisfaction” will impose imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine of 10,000,000 yen [approx. $98,860].
Comments from Yahoo! Japan:
水瀬大魔神（miz…）さん:
Instead of doing this kind of stuff, first, they should get rid of special rights for zainichi Koreans and abolish legal aliases!!!!
ネトウヨは考えない葦（net…）さん:
“Seems like they want to revoke Japan’s filthy name as a major country for child pornography…and we’re certainly being stigmatized by the rest of the world”
Yeah, but the fact is that those countries who are looking at us disdainfully have way more sex crimes than Japan does.
パッカー車（yaf…）さん:
I think it’s abnormal to have an interest in child pornography, but I wish they’d stop trying to regulate expression to the extreme. It’s different from the original intention of the law.
rx7**015（rx7…）さん:
They should revise the law on taxes for pachinko parlours and religious organisations in the same way as they’re revising child pornography laws. This twisted logic that for pachinko parlours “it’s no problem to convert balls into cash in a separate place” ain’t gonna fly for much longer.
杉内涌井はウッツ並み（red…）さん:
Please revise the Juvenile Law too [Juvenile Law (Shonenho) in Japan forbids the disclosure of identity of the criminal if under 20 years of age, although juveniles can be tried as criminally liable from 14 years of age].
大きな向日葵（nik…）さん:
They say that they’re submitting the revisions because that what governments are doing abroad, but I have only doubts about these proposals, which turn a blind eye to the kind of problems and constitutional violations that have arisen abroad. In foreign countries, there are a lot of cases where men have been arrested because “that porn actress looked younger than the age of consent”, or where someone has put child porn on a superior’s computer because they want to bring that person down, and then the “superior” had been arrested. What’s more, and I’m talking about Loli-con here, in Japan the law is that people have to be over 18, so past gravure idols could also become the object of regulation. The famous example is that of Miyazawa Rie’s nude photo book, where it’s possible that arrests could be made. I only have doubts about the government, who for that matter will push out AKB48 and others.
cha*p*nppp（cha…）さん:
The LDP couldn’t answer when asked in the Diet whether Miyazawa Rie’s nude photobook Santa Fe was appropriate or not. The definition is unclear. Rep. Hanashi‘s defence was “If it’s difficult to tell then it should be abolished”. Shitty LDP, saying that something should be abolished if you can’t tell whether it’s appropriate or not.
n_m*a*（n_m…）さん:
The purpose of these proposed revisions is becoming the regulation of manga and anime.
ネトウヨは考えない葦（net…）さん:
Ah, at this the number of despicable sex crimes targeting children will increase…Sexual preference is not something that can be suppressed by law and penal regulations. The thing is, if there is no release, I mean no outlet for sexual urges, then it’s going to turn violent. So they really have to allow at least Lolita [complex] books and Lolita films. If sex crimes increase because of this, it’ll be your fault!
yogoretataikyokuki（tea…）さん:
I think that it’ll be better for maintaining public safety if they severely crack down on sex crimes by North Koreans.
cha*p*nppp（cha…）さん:
I think that’s what’s actually abnormal is that the LDP thinks that Dokaben is child porn.
arc*ng**os（arc…）さん:
[LDP Proposal]
Making preservation of web history obligatory as anti-terror strategy 26/05/2013.
And there it is. The LDP’s draft bill for surveillance of Japanese citizens.
They’ll corrupt the constitution, spy on the people. So no privacy for citizens?
[Japanese Constitution Article 21 Paragraph 2]
“There must be no censorship. Privacy of communications must not be violated”.
Stick to the constitution, LDP scum.
gweguifd（gwe…）さん:
Makes me laugh that as they’re lining up their words they think will be popular with the electorate, like “Cool Japan” and stuff, they’re in fact just trying to ruin and exile them.
ace*dee*ble（ace…）さん:
Fine if they really want to just stamp out child pornography, but I’m opposed to this if it’s accompanied by regulation of expression.
m9l*n*ll_v*（m9l…）さん:
They should make it mandatory for people with a history of sex crime to have a GPS attached to them for the rest of their lives.
miw*hir*me（miw…）さん:
The LDP has just lost a big victory in the Upper House.
Absurd.
kam–t-ka—uh-me（kam…）さん:
Isn’t child pornography something that you have for your own personal interests? I mean, are manga and anime really not going to be part of what will be regulated? And if the law is misused, the police will be able to arrest almost anyone for unrelated incidents. It’s a shit revised proposal of the law. Oi, publishing industry, if you don’t stand up now, what’ll you do? Legal circles should also complain about the regulation of freedom of expression.
