Osaka Prefecture Considers To Regulate Boys Love Manga

[smbx33]

Osaka Prefecture, the central region of Western Japan, has announced that they will investigate the current situation of books describing sexual expressions of minors (under 18) regardless if they are actual persons or fictitious characters. They specifically mentioned manga magazines for women and boys love (yaoi) manga as potential targets of the regulation.

Source: Osaka Prefecture Announcement (pdf file)

[robhol]

Nasty hit for freedom of speech and/or artistic expression. While the content itself can be a bit disturbing and probably hard to swallow for some/most people (depending on what content we're talking about here,) I don't see the point in banning either. What good would that do?

[Kufufunofu]

my BL >.<

anyways don't they have bigger problems to deal with..
hentai ,shota,rape games ...etc.
why would they pick on BL..ugh....idek

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Kufufunofu

my BL >.<

anyways don't they have bigger problems to deal with..
hentai ,shota,rape games ...etc.
why would they pick on BL..ugh....idek

Because there is no regulation at ALL on media aimed toward women. The girls' magazines on sale have both comics for children all the way through to pretty explicit BL. Normal pornography like the other examples you list (unless it`s BL shota) is already regulated under existing laws.

And also, regulation doesn`t mean "stopping publishing" - it means that if it`s explicit, it will be age restricted just like any other pornography.
There is something wrong with laws when you have to be over 18 to purchase any pornography involving a female... But when it`s two men - no matter how incredibly explicit it is - a child can buy it with no questions.

Regulation does NOT mean ban. It means making it 18+ if it is explicit.

[MMM]

Here's the link from Anime News Network.

Osaka Considers Regulating Boys-Love Materials - Anime News Network

Osaka Considers Regulating Boys-Love Materials
posted on 2010-04-04 15:15 EDT
Women's comic mags, boys-love studied for relevancy to existing ordinance

The Osaka Prefectural Government announced on March 25 that it was studying the current state of books and other materials that sexually objectifies youths younger than 18 years old. By studying and determining the true extent of such materials in the prefecture, the government is investigating whether it needs to regulate them in accordance with the existing ordinance regarding the healthy development of youths. Osaka prefecture's existing ordinance restricts the sale of some materials to minors.

The announcement says that the government is "considering the regulation of women's (josei) comic magazines and boys-love materials." In addition to women's comic magazines and boys-love materials, the government is investigating the true extent of child pornography (particularly via online distribution) and "sexual, visual depictions of youths."

Osaka Governor Tōru Hashimoto had said last month that his government is considering a measure similar to Tokyo's proposed legislation to regulate sexualized depictions of characters that appear or sound to be younger than 18 years old. In accordance to its existing ordinance regarding the healthy development of youths, Osaka has been maintaining a list of "harmful publications" that cannot be sold to buyers under 18 years old. Some women's magazines and a few shōjo magazines have been identified in the past.

There is nothing here talking about censorship. As Nyororin said, it is about keeping adult materials out of the hands of children.

[Tsuwabuki]

I concur with the regulations. I have caught students reading BL in the local Tsutaya, because it's just out there. While I am personally ambivalent on the issue of teen access to such material, and I question if children could manage to even read the kanji involved, the true issue is equality. If heterosexual material is regulated, and yuri material is regulated, then BL material featuring explicit depictions in prose or art of sexual acts especially with minors, should be regulated as well. Frankly I don't understand how josei has avoided it thus far.

[dannavy85]

Shota and Lolicon should be banned.