In June, the Tokyo Assembly failed to pass a bill that would further restrict the sale and distribution of explicit manga and anime content to underage minors. Well, after months of revision, the bill will once again be proposed and put to a vote.

Several key changes to this bill have been made, including the elimination of the ambiguous “nonexistent youth” clause. The proposed bill would require the industry to regulate the sale and distribution of “manga, anime, and other images (except for real-life photography)” that “unjustifiably glorify or emphasize” certain sexual acts. The revised bill will target depictions of “sexual or pseudo sexual acts that would be illegal in real life, or sexual or pseudo sexual acts between close relatives whose marriage would be illegal” and therefore be “detrimental toward the healthy development of youth.”

While I am somewhat frustrated that law-makers have failed to pass these kinds of ordinances yet, I do understand that the wording and phrasing of the bill are crucial to ensure a thorough law. Sloppy law-making results in loop-holes that could further endanger and expose the youth to these kinds of materials. Hopefully this revision will be sufficient!

Source: AnimeNewsNetwork