Anime School Swimwear Ban Demanded (Last for today...hopfully)

The Japanese arm of moral crusader group UNICEF is pushing for a ban on all depictions of minors in “sexual” poses, with swimwear in anime mentioned specifically, a move which would have devastating effects on the world of anime, manga and games.

Gearing up for their participation in a major international conference discussing curbing the sexual exploitation of children, opening in Brazil in November, the group painted a hysterical picture of a massive increase in recent years of the availability of pornography featuring underage participants over the Internet.

They accused the US, Russia and Japan of being foremost in harbouring such sites.

Complaints about the supposed laxness of Japanese laws against possession of such material were also made, but in their most strident assertion, they insisted upon the urgent necessity of new laws to curb swimwear wearing children in “sexual” poses appearing in anime and similar.

Some say such a move would likely inevitably be extended into mainstream anime from the initial soft target of more erotic representations.

Top UNICEF Japan honcho Agnes Chan, a Chinese pop star with controversial affiliations with a religious organisation many consider a cult, closed the assembly saying: “The problem of the sexual exploitation of children is becoming more and more acute and extensive. We have to bring together the people and the government, and take the necessary action for the protection of the children.”

Via Yomiuri.

Recall that only recently the Japanese government temporarily sidestepped the controversial issue of banning two-dimensional portrayals of underage sexual activity, so the group will likely be seeking to influence this issue.

Without much in the way of a slave trade to attack in Japan, and with rates of child abuse far lower than elsewhere in the developed world, it seems the group is nevertheless intent on using up its contributions to ensure further restrictions on freedom of expression in Japan.

Many are asking if they don’t have anything better to do?