Bullwhips vs. Octopi in Japan

Kerry Howley | November 16, 2007

The land of tentacle porn considers loosening up on Robert Mapplethorpe:

A Japanese publisher who tried to print images of male genitals taken by late US photographer Robert Mapplethorpe said Thursday he was hopeful the top court will lift an eight-year ban on the book.

Pornography is widely available in Japan and legal for personal use. But laws on public morals forbid the import of material that clearly depicts genitalia, causing frequent disputes as censorship is at officers' discretion.

Despite the ban, Asai said the book remained in the National Diet Library, which keeps copies of all books published in Japan.

Comments

|11.16.07 @ 11:37AM|#

I'm surprised they didn't just publish the pictures with that shitty porn mosaic they use on all their "good stuff".

|11.16.07 @ 11:38AM|#

"Bullwhips vs. Octopi in Japan"

I'd buy that movie.

Chucklehead|11.16.07 @ 11:38AM|#

Despite the ban, Asai said the book remained in the National Diet Library, which keeps copies of all books published in Japan.

It's kept in the Ben Dover Reading Room.

thoreau|11.16.07 @ 11:44AM|#

Normally it's pretty easy to declare a thread winner. But this topic will probably whip us into a frenzy of creative posting, making the winner impossible to judge.

Kubi|11.16.07 @ 11:46AM|#

forbid the import

Does anyone know if this phrase is completely correct and domestically-produced genitalia-showing porn is OK? If so, I would wonder if this began as a protectionist policy enacted after a fierce lobbying effort by Big Porn.

Reinmoose|11.16.07 @ 11:49AM|#

If so, I would wonder if this began as a protectionist policy enacted after a fierce lobbying effort by Big Porn.

Actually, it was by Big Balls, but you were close.

Bingo|11.16.07 @ 12:06PM|#

Anyone familiar with "tubgirl" can attest that genitalia is one of the least offensive things in japanese pornography.

Reilly|11.16.07 @ 12:20PM|#

Does anyone know if this phrase is completely correct and domestically-produced genitalia-showing porn is OK?

No, both imports and domestically produced uncensored porn are illegal.

Jay|11.16.07 @ 12:21PM|#

That's nuts

|11.16.07 @ 12:43PM|#

No, both imports and domestically produced uncensored porn are illegal.
We've got wires crossed somewhere.
Pornography is widely available in Japan and legal for personal use.
I can assure you Japanese porn is the most uncensored sexual obscenity mankind has ever produced.

|11.16.07 @ 1:08PM|#

I look forward to the day when through the miracle of genetic engineering we can have suction cups on our penises. (or is it penisi? or penisuses?) O lets just say octodicks

Franklin Harris|11.16.07 @ 2:35PM|#

Japanese obscenity laws are a holdover from the U.S. military occupation. In general, they prohibit the depiction of male or female genitalia and pubic hair. And they are sometimes thought to be one reason for the prevalence of "tentacle porn" in anime and manga; i.e., can't show a penis, show 1,000 writhing tentacles attacking a classroom full of schoolgirls instead. This is at least an overstatement, however, as tentacle porn in Japan predates WWII.

Japan's censorship has, in fact, been relaxed somewhat in recent years, but I'm not certain exactly to what extent.

|11.16.07 @ 3:24PM|#

Man, a National Diet Library! The obesity health nazis have really outdone themselves is Japan.

(Yes, I know what it means.)

T|11.16.07 @ 5:00PM|#

Historical note for you, Franklin. Japanese tentacle pron goes back to at least the mid 19th century. I've seen sourced and documented netsuke from that period with women getting felt up by octopi. It's a longstanding cultural weirdness.

VM|11.16.07 @ 5:30PM|#

mmm... sushi for dinner tonight... mmmm. uni.

|11.16.07 @ 8:13PM|#

Normally it's pretty easy to declare a thread winner. But this topic will probably whip us into a frenzy of creative posting, making the winner impossible to judge.

Well thoreau, could we settle on an eight-way tie?

Franklin Harris|11.16.07 @ 10:17PM|#

I've seen sourced and documented netsuke from that period with women getting felt up by octopi.

That's actually a rather famous print by Hokusai, whose name escaped me when I posted this morning.

|11.16.07 @ 10:53PM|#

I, for one, welcome our tentacle porn loving overlords.

|11.18.07 @ 4:27PM|#

Robert Maplethorp the one who received funding via the tax payers from the NEA for his dirty art projects and the liberal go gaga for his trash