The recent moves to strengthen laws against pornography involving underage participants opted to consider what to do about 2D loli separately, and the Diet has now decided what to do about this – it will ignore the matter for three years, and then decide how (if) to reform the law based on the results of an investigation. This might be considered a skilful dodge of the whole messy issue.
It will do the same regarding attempting to force censorship measures targeting pornography featuring underage participants on ISPs, citing the need for technical progress in the area.
The other measures are set to become law, with “simple possession” for the purpose of “satisfying sexual curiosity” receiving a fine of no more than ¥1,000,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year, and with much harsher punishments for commercial dealing and distribution.
A common reaction on 2ch seems to be to interpret this as a simple countdown to a rigged investigation which will recommend a ban, but I feel compelled to offer a different interpretation – this seems to be more of a relatively graceful cop out for the politicians involved, to get out of having to offer objections to a “think of the children” law.
Whilst it may be that attitudes in Japan towards lolicon related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere, it would still not look good for a politician to come out and argue for an exemption in the midst of the current theatre. In that case, leaving the matter to some anonymous committee’s verdict three years hence, which can be discretely accepted or ignored, would be the most politically feasible way of demurring on a ban.
Still, vigilance and opposition is required if such a law is not to illiberally erode freedom of expression.
Via Internet Watch.
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"Whilst it may be that attitudes in Japan towards lolicon related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in China towards burying baby daughters and related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in Iran towards fostering terrorism and related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in Sankaku Complex towards self-gratification related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
[...]
[...]
Thank you and good night.
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in the Middle-East towards Shia law related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes on Guro chan towards guro related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in a rapists head towards children related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in gangs towards violence, extortion, natural selection and related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
"Whilst it may be that attitudes in 1940s Germany towards censorship and ethnic cleansing related issues are much more relaxed and reasonable than elsewhere"
[...]
[...]
and so on.
That's a good explanation, so good for the politicians on not caving and supporting a ban. In a way, evading is good if it lets them keep their careers, so then they can continue to protect against future ones getting drafted in.
Epic Dodge indeed.
Epic dodge is epic
That's a convenient move indeed. Arguing against a ban on 2d material at the peak of the moral panic would have been politically delicate. That decision avoids a ruckus from both the free speech advocates and the "For The Children" activists and makes it possible for the 2d issue to be dealt with in a less sensitive context than the revision of the whole child porn legislation. A 3-year respite from rumors of an impending crackdown on lolicon is a rather reassuring perspective, too. I'll enjoy those 36 issues of Comic LO for the time being.
The LDP evidently have not dominated postwar Japanese politics for nothing.
I doubt they'll be able to militate much against 2D cake much given the ambivalence of the Japanese to the issue, and they no longer look bad internationally for not outlawing 3D porn, so I expect the status quo will remain.
Now if only they could find an equally artful dodge for scrapping the ludicrous mosaic laws...