Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

Tokyo’s Gender Equality Plan Raises Censorship Concerns

MsqD by MsqD
4 years ago
in News

It seems like history’s repeating itself. Recently, a draft revision of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “Comprehensive Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality” was revealed, with public consultation having ended on November 16th, 2021. Submitted by the 6th Tokyo Gender Equality Council, it purportedly aims at eliminating “all forms of violence between men and women” and encouraging cooperation in combating discrimination. Though the Comprehensive Plan is more a set of guidelines than a law, as revealed by mangaka Ken Akamatsu, it could nonetheless lead to mass censorship, once again raising concerns for anime and manga.

Tokyo Censorship News Screenshot 1
Originally unveiled on October 18th, the draft revision has raised eyebrows on social media, both in Japan and elsewhere. (Source: Twitter)

According to Akamatsu, not only does the draft include the “freedom not to be exposed to offensive expressions in mass media and public spaces,” but it also leaves the specifics of what that actually means vague, outside of an “international perspective on sexual and violent expression.” As the mangaka put it bluntly, such broad strokes would not only prevent him, or anyone else, from drawing anything, but could potentially lead to the “decline in Japanese culture.”

東京都の男女平等参画推進総合計画の改定案。
マスメディアや公共空間での「不快な表現に接しない自由」に言及しており、クリエイター側として恐怖を感じる。これでは東京では何も描けない!表現の自由を著しく軽視。
「性・暴力表現について国際的な視点」も曖昧すぎて、これでは日本文化が衰退する。 pic.twitter.com/zQd6Vxj27T

— 赤松 健 ⋈(参議院議員・全国比例) (@KenAkamatsu) November 8, 2021

This also seems to be linked to what Yoshinobu Yamada, creator of Eden no Ori, Deathtopia, and Satanophany described on November 5th in a series of now-deleted tweets, in response to increasingly strict restrictions on explicit content. He brought up how his publisher deemed Satanophany too erotic for the magazine when it had previously not been a problem, and that such regulation could set a negative precedent. Though it’s just as likely to be a case of creative differences, it’s not hard to see how such measures are open to abuse.

It is true that Satanophany is too erotic for a general magazine, but I don’t want the publishers to do anything that would make the writers shrink. I don’t want the publisher to do anything to discourage authors.

This is where the effects of restrictions come in.
It’s a strange thing to regulate erotica in the first place.
And every time it gets stronger and stronger, people gradually lose their jobs… it’s a terrible story.

I really don’t understand what the regulations are for… It’s the military and erotica that have developed the world.

I don’t know what to say, but I’m not sure what to say.

I think it is strange that restrictions are imposed on youth magazines in the first place…

It didn’t take long before these developments caught traction globally, with reactions ranging from concern over censorship, and frustration that the proposals seem designed to pander to Western feminists, to pessimistic, if not hyperbolic doom-mongering about the death of anime. On Takahashi, however, has stressed that while this current push is nothing to brush aside, the Comprehensive Plan’s vagueness makes it doubtful that it would be implemented, outside of some political virtue-signaling. He also remarked how this is a logical continuation of the restrictions put in place for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and how Japanese politicians tried invoking “What would foreigners think of us?” to rationalize those restrictions, though it should be noted that such restraints don’t apply to self-publishing or digital releases.

Tokyo has many issues it could be tackling instead of taking part in this puritan witch-hunt.

And this is all "politician speak". Like how they say "we're gonna build a better country" but they never outline "how" or "by when" etc. They might just not do anything.

— On Takahashi (高橋温) (@OnTakahashi) November 9, 2021

Others, meanwhile, have brought up how attempting to grant such efforts the weight of law would run afoul with Japan’s higher courts, if not violate constitutional protections over free speech. This isn’t to ignore how this whole affair has echoes of the infamous Bill 156, filed by then-Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara in 2010: prohibiting “excessive sexual acts” in anime and manga, while regulating the sales of such works in the metropolis, in the name of helping “protect children under the age of 18.” There were fears at the time that this may foster censorship that would have dealt a nigh-fatal blow, given that said bill included clauses that “unabashedly advocated thought control and altering public opinion.” Yet, thanks to opposition from Japanese publishers, creators, and fans alike, those worries never really came to pass.

Tokyo Censorship News Screenshot 2
A snapshot from the recent Freedom of Expression Protection Association Forum, which not only featured Assemblyman Taro Yamada and Ken Akamatsu as key speakers but also extolled anti-censorship and pro-expression efforts. (Source: Twitter)

Given the vocal backlash to the current push for censorship both in and outside Japan, it’s far too premature to call it quits just yet. Whatever the outcome will be, you can be certain about one thing: that Japanese creators and fans across the globe are not just aware of the problems of restricting expression, but are more than willing to stand against them.

Tags: censorshipJapannews

More Posts Like This

Azur Lane Censorhip Web Cover
News

Azur Lane Skin Removal — Google Play Sinks Some Ship Girls

by Kashou
4 months ago

It’s a sad day for Azur Lane fans. Yostar announced that the game has had to remove several skins due...

Zenshu Anime Promotional Video 01
News

Original Anime Zenshu Releases New PV with Theme Song

by L.B. Bryant
5 months ago

For over a decade (longer if you want to get technical), isekai stories have ruled the anime airwaves. Additionally, there...

Seppuku Contest

Seppuku Contest in West Japan Canceled by Organizer

6 months ago
Nikke X Eva

The Nikke × Evangelion Collab is Live!

9 months ago
Misty, Pokémon,

Rachael Lillis, Pokémon English VA of Misty, Passes Away

9 months ago
To Heart Visual Novel Img(2)

To Heart Remake to Come Next Year!

10 months ago
Next Post
The Pickle And Daweeb Show

The Nefertiti Debacle — The Pickle and Daweeb Show

Trending Today

Please Put Them On Takamine San PV2 5
News

The Power of No Panties, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san

3 months ago
Anime Reverse Image Search Ultimate Guide
Your Friend in Japan

Find That Anime! The Ultimate Anime Reverse Image Search Guide

1 week ago
Shock! Manga Artists Who Also Created Hentai
Your Friend in Japan

Shock! 15 Famous Manga Artists Who Also Made Hentai

1 year ago
Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime Web Cover
News

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime and Where to Watch Them

2 months ago
Summer Pockets Blog Post
Your Friend in Japan

Summer Pockets: Rewinding to a Simpler Era of Visual Novel Anime

5 days ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Happy News! J List's Fiscal Year End Sale Gives You The Best Anime Deals
Your Friend in Japan

Don’t Miss the Best Anime Deals in J-List’s Fiscal Year-End Clearance!

by Peter Payne
May 19, 2025

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 4 — Choose Your Own Adventurous Lingerie!

The Chained Soldier Manga Will Enter a Short Hiatus

Don’t Miss the Best Anime Deals in J-List’s Fiscal Year-End Clearance!

Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse Fights Oni in Another World

The Holo Yukata Beauty Figure — Beautiful Beyond Words

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.