Japanese House Moves to Outlaw 'Child Pornography' Possession

TOKYO—The last industrial nation to make the possession of images of child sexual abuse a crime took a further step in that direction today following a discussion by the Lower House Judicial Affairs Committee to advance legislation that would finally outlaw possession of so-called child pornography. Currently, only the production and distribution of such material is illegal in Japan. According to Japan Times, the committee is expected to send the legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives today, where swift passage is anticipated. Assuming things go as planned, the bill will move "to the upper chamber for a vote before the current Diet session ends June 22." The new law would outlaw the possession of photographs and videos depicting the sexual abuse of real children, but not the possession of either manga or anime content, which often contain sexualized images of underage-looking characters. "Anyone found guilty of possessing the material could face up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of ¥1 million [US$9,735]," reported Japan Times. "To give people a chance to throw away such material, the penalties would be delayed for one year after the revised law takes effect." The news site also noted that the island nation is "seen as a major global source of child pornography in photo and video form. At present, it’s legal to possess images that show real children being abused, raped and molested, according to activists. "Japan’s porn industry is huge and foreign visitors note the ubiquity of sexual imagery showing young-looking girls in school uniforms," it added. "While it is unusual to see people in Japan openly reading pedophilic manga in public, mainstream comic books read by commuters sometimes contain sexualized images that many Westerners find unpalatable." Despite the success of free speech advocates to keep non-live visualizations of child sexual abuse out of the bill, the imminent passage of this historic law is seen as a major step forward for Japan, which as of this moment remains "the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations where the possession of child pornography remains legal."