Publishers oppose Tokyo’s proposed censorship of expression

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Publishers oppose Tokyo’s proposed censorship of expression

Writers and publishers have raised their opposition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s attempt to impose stronger regulations on sexual images in “manga” comic books and animation by amending its Youth Healthy Development Ordinance.

The Japan Playwrights Association in its published statement criticizes the proposed amendment for allowing the local government to designate whether or not a certain depiction is “harmful” to youth.

The Japan Writers Guild stressed that the latest proposal should not be tolerated since it enables the authority to unilaterally impose its moral and ethical views on publications.

The Publications Distribution Planning Council, consisting of nearly 100 publishers, pointed out that if a revised ordinance is passed, the government will be able to arbitrarily regulate depictions in comics and animations, thus possibly leading to serious violations of expression and publication.

Tokyo Governor Ishihara Shintaro at a December 7 metropolitan assembly meeting described opponents of the amendment as “senseless people whose opposition doesn’t make sense.”

- Akahata, December 8, 2010