Comments on: Editor’s Desk: doujinshi, obscenity, and Japan’s imperiled freedom of speech

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:56:17 +0000

TheBigGSN5:
Actually, in the Meiji period, all this sex was not tolerated.

By: KingMalak

KingMalak — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:34:08 +0000

Please tell me they are cracking down on violence too…
While I am not sure about Japan’s view to excessive violence, America seems to turn a blind eye to violence, while always attempting to keep sexual thoughts and desire in check and away from a youth population thought to be “pure”.
I will admit I am a huge fan of “adult” based art and Japanese comics, and understand the anxiety that people might associate with adult themed art, but to limit and censor ideas and art is to limit the human experience. Besides, are we really going to assume that kids don’t know what is going on with sex? Come on…

By: Free Speech and 2D Visual Culture at m i n u i a l

Free Speech and 2D Visual Culture at m i n u i a l — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:47:16 +0000

[...] at Heisei Democracy has written a number of editorials in the past few months on threats to free speech in Japan after a series of incidents [...]

By: Uncle Bear » Blog Archive » Random News Table

Uncle Bear » Blog Archive » Random News Table — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:09:27 +0000

[...] Japanese crack down on “obscene” manga [...]

By: TheBigGSN5

TheBigGSN5 — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:45:14 +0000

Oh, I’m sorry rocket, I didn’t explain that I live in the actual United States, where everyday there is news that an army of pedophiles are lurking behind every corner waiting to grab your kids. I didn’t think to include people who live in fantasy lands like you, where they have no knowledge of the concept of jokes like “jail sentences of 3000 years” and where Captain Picard runs on every TV station. My mistake. Here’s yours: Just because the law says one thing doesn’t mean reality agrees. See Taiwan, copyrights, defacto/dejure, and the whole goddamn concept of censorship, which shouldn’t exist in the US due to the 1st Amendment and yet it does. Hmmm. HMMMMMM.

By: Uncle Bear » Blog Archive » Random News Table

Uncle Bear » Blog Archive » Random News Table — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 04:31:47 +0000

[...] Japanese crack down on “obscene” manga In the light of the recent arrest of a doujin artist on obscenity charges we take a look back at the past five years in the history of free speech regulation and litigation vis a vis drawn pornography in Japan. [...]

By: Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Aug. 29, 2007: Searching the city for sci-fi wasabi

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:25:31 +0000

[...] Heisei Democracy presents a background essay on doujinshi, obscenity and free speech in Japan. (Right: detail from [...]

By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » New comics and job openings

MangaBlog » Blog Archive » New comics and job openings — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:20:43 +0000

[...] has a serialization update from Japan and links to an article about doujinshi and freedom of speech at Hesei [...]

By: rocket

rocket — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 05:48:11 +0000

Uh.. in the US you could have hardcore uncensored lolikon anime and it would be protected under free speech laws. Just because Seven Seas would not publish Kodomo no Jikan due to commercial backlash doesn’t mean that it is illegal.

Please lets refrain from uniformed nation bashing while we address this serious topic.

We needz teh j-pr0n!

By: TheBigGSN5

TheBigGSN5 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 05:09:01 +0000

Japan has got to be the porn capitol of the world, at least per capita, anyway; it’s a wonder that with that plus the endless lolicon shows that have come out recently that the politicians have not dropped the hammer on the entire entertainment industry there. (”That usage” achievement unlocked!) The upcoming Kodomo no Jikan anime will probably go by with nary an official peep while in the US, you’d get 3000 years in prison.

Contact with the Western world brought ol’ Nippon plenty of nice things, but it also brought ideas of sex shame/censorship that sure as hell did not used to be there. Listen to the commentary on the first disc of La Blue Girl Returns for more fun insights!

By: lostdog

lostdog — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:43:26 +0000

You can’t expect the diehard anti-porn types to be “rational” in any way that we would accept; their goal is the eradication of pornography, full stop. What we would call compromise, they consider capitulation. It’s politicians and businesses the doujin makers need in their corner.

On the bright side, I agree with Shingo that if anyone can mount a massive distro reformation on short notice, it’s the Japanese 2D community. Hopefully they can organize enough to get some in the government to listen.

(BTW, what are the figures on otaku voting? I can’t imagine waves of hikikomori staggering to the polls, but I know next to nothing about Japanese political culture…)

By: astrange

astrange — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:26:00 +0000

Sweden?

What with Japan’s justice system actually being like Phoenix Wright I’m amazed more stuff isn’t illegal already.

By: DrmChsr0

DrmChsr0 — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:09:07 +0000

So Shingo… … …

You a fan of actual pornography too?

Just to play Devil’s Advocate: When has anyone handled this right in a mature and rational manner?