Japan bans possession of child porn—but not sexually explicit manga comics

Japan’s parliament voted on Wednesday to outlaw possession of child pornography after years of international calls for a crackdown, but avoided a clampdown on sexually explicit manga comics and animation depicting young children. Japan is the last OECD nation to criminalise possession of child pornography, although it outlawed production and distribution in 1999, and has long been considered a safe haven for those buying child pornography.

For too long, there was a poor understanding of children’s rights. Ultimately, that’s why it’s taken so long.

Kiyohiko Toyama, a member of the New Komeito party and a proponent of the bill

National data show a rise in child pornography crimes, with police uncovering 1,644 cases last year, around 10 times higher than a decade ago. Over half of the cases involved sharing or selling photos or videos over the Internet, police said. Lawmakers said the new legislation would likely help police crack down on child pornography as buyers can be held and questioned, possibly leading them to other collectors as well as distributors and manufacturers.

I believed we should go a step further and take a look at manga and animation in which children are sexually abused. Of course freedom of expression is important. And I love manga. But some of the things out there are so depraved they aren’t worth defending.

Masatada Tsuchiya, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker

Asia-Pacific