This is the same country that requires pixels on people's genitals in porn
Yet they're just getting around to banning child porn now. Although the article says it was also banned in 1999?
I am a big fan of anime and manga so it may come as no surprise that I am a bit placid on this law since it opens the door to arresting people who have doujins and similar fan works, the Japanese anime and manga industry is world wide and very popular so I feel it is not in our jurisdiction to set an agenda of censorship on their works.
Simply put it may be off the agenda for now but I'm sure at some point in the future someone somewhere will push this envelope further.
My concern is that they will kill the Visual Novel industry and the Clannad, Air, Little Busters, School Days Higurashi type of series because the protagonist is a teenager etc.
Or the anime industry just because it has a few fan service scenes like the Onsen (Hot Springs) or Swimsuit episodes lol.
Think of the Virtual Children line of logic.
As you can tell I have a pro Japan and anti censorship agenda so my response is FU western sensibilities its not your right to impose a set of beliefs on another country, especially one that has a lot more creativity in story line and depth.
Example: Elfen Lied, Gundam (Seed Mode) , Seikoku no Dragonar , No Game No Life, Black Bullet Eden of the East just to name a few would fall under that for nudity if that law was expanded which are great series.
As to the BBC note that it would impinge on freedom of expression and allow authorities to make arbitrary decisions about art it does have the potential to do so, due to increasing regulation so I hope it does not change the culture around the industry and works are still created freely without fear of prosecution, we need creative artists and Japan is one of the few that allows all areas of thought even those consider Taboo in Western societies to be developed into interesting and engaging storylines.
Molester Man anyone ^_^ (
http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/molester-man-r7471) One of my favorite mangas its damn Good.
Just my 2 cents on this.
Oh and One more thing Death to ISHIHARA! (For those that get the Tokyo reference)
Make that two
OVERTHROW THE BRITANNIA GOVERNMENT! VIVA LA REVOLUTION! LONG LIVE THE ELEVENS! JAPANESE
Had to Code Geass that long live Lelouch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7zQbMxm28And a moment for the heck of it from Eden of the East (In Front of the White House) Hmm NSFW (Think kind of)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHN3-G8p4H4&feature=kpOP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pdqeu9LW2c