In the world of anime and manga, there is something for every one. Whether we are talking romance or action, the industries cover a ton of genres. Of course, there are types of anime and manga more controversial than others. One of the most contested tropes boils down to loli and shota content. Now, a politician in Japan wants the legislature to reexamine the trope and implement censorship on it.
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The confession comes from Japan as the 213th Diet session features a petition by Masako Okawara. The politician is asking for stricter regulation on any content – including anime and manga – that exploits children. This is why the use of loli and shota content is on the docket as the tropes are long controversial.
For those unaware, loli and shota refer to type of project that focuses on children or adults who look like children. Oftentimes, loli and shota content sexualizes its young stars, and this has long been a controversial issue with anime fans. As you can imagine, different cultures feel differently about the genre, but the global consensus on loli and shota is fraught.
As such, Okawara is eager to adjust the law in Japan to better censor content that exploits minors such as loli and shota. “The neglect of the sexual commodification of children through their images perpetuates harmful values in society and gravely infringes on children’s rights to live and grow up safely and securely,” she shared in a recent statement to constituents.
“The unchecked sexualization of children in media perpetuates damaging societal norms and poses a serious threat to children’s safety and well-being.”
While Japan does have laws regarding child exploitation and pornography, they are not without fault. In 2019, a committee at the United Nations asked Japan to further criminalize the “production, distribution, provision, sale, access, viewing and possession of images and depictions of children, or persons who primarily appear to be children, engaging in explicit sexual acts, or depictions of sexual parts of a child’s body for sexual purposes”. It seems Okawara is taking this request to heart, and she is petitioning the 213th Diet to look over the issue.
What do you make of this latest legislative report? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
