Revised Tokyo Youth Ordinance Bill Posted

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Mike Ferreira (Editor) — November 22nd, 2010 — 22:35
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Japanese lawyer Takashi Yamaguchi recently posted a revised version of the controversial Youth Health Ordinance. The new bill amends the current Youth Healthy Development Ordinance, which prevents the sale and rental of publications deemed "harmful" to minors. "Harmful" publications are described as materials that sexually stimulate, encourage cruelty, and/or possibly compel suicide or criminal behavior.

The proposed bill would require the industry to expand their focus from publications to manga, anime, and "other images" that "unjustifiably glorify or emphasize" certain sexual or pseudo-sexual acts, which would be deemed illegal to perform in reality and therefore detrimental to healthy youth development.

Another provision would allow for government intervention to restrict the sale of items if the images depict act that are "considered to be excessively disrupting of social order," such as rape.

The new bill does not use the term "nonexistent youth," which was a primary source of controversy in the original bill. Instead, the restrictions apply to all characters, regardless of perceived age, and specifically includes manga, anime, and other images while exluding photograph and live-action material.