Censorship in pornography is a big issue when it comes to japanese porn. We’ve all been there, regardless of what we’re looking for. It’s either a pixelated pussy in a JAV video, or you’re reading a doujinshi of your favorite anime character and then there’s that accursed black bar getting in your way. There are some people who go through the trouble of decensoring doujinshis, and someone apparently developed an AI that could decensor pixelation, but the fact remains, the majority of japanese porn that exists out there for consumption right now is censored.
Popularly known as the ‘otaku politician’, former mangaka turned political figure Yamada Taro is currently arguing for a law that will be removing censorship from hentai, and even real life porn, assuming the actors give their consent.
Of course, this battle is far from over yet, and there will be plenty of people who will oppose it. Opponents of the bill would argue that it would be used to promote pedophilia, and supporting this bill will likely spell disaster for any politician who decides to back it. However, in the event that the law even does come to pass, the battle is not over just yet.
Just because something is legal, does not mean something is perfectly accepted in society. For example: tattoos are, technically speaking, perfectly legal in Japan. That doesn’t mean that they are widely accepted by the populace. Although attitudes are shifting within recent years, tattooing in Japan was legalized shortly after World War 2, so it took quite a while, and we aren’t even there yet. Even if the law does pass, there will be plenty of people who will oppose its implementation, and the companies that choose to implement it. Even companies dedicated to NSFW content have SFW parent companies which will be targeted by those that oppose the bill, and as public image is practically everything in Japanese culture, it won’t be an easy thing to overcome.
Regardless, a step, no matter how small, in the right direction is always a good thing. We can’t possibly expect this law to change everything overnight, we can’t even expect it to pass for sure. What we can expect, however, is that this will be a matter of debate, and that the issues of censorship are brought into the public eye and are to be discussed. Even that, in it’s own way, is a victory of sorts. From now on, all we can do is wait, and hope.
