Japan Bans Child Porn, But Makes Exceptions For Manga ComicsSome people are surprised that it's taken so long for Japan to ban child porn, but even in the USA the law wasn't clear on this issue until the 1970s and 1980s. For instance, there was a relevant court case in 1982. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_v._Ferber) The bottom line is that Japan has decided at this time to ban explicit materials featuring real children and the law goes into effect in a year, giving those who possess such material time to decide what they want to do with it.
Japan's parliament voted on Wednesday to outlaw possession of child pornography after years of international calls for a crackdown, but avoided a clampdown on sexually explicit manga comics and animation depicting young children. Japan is the last OECD nation to criminalize possession of child pornography, although it outlawed production and distribution in 1999, and has long been considered a safe haven for those buying child pornography.
Apparently at least some people in Japan have paid attention to what has occurred here in the USA:
Even without the clause on manga, however, publishers said they were still against the revised law. Some opposition lawmakers also voted against it, saying it could lead to police overreach.
I'm not saying that child porn is a good thing, but the ridiculous police overreach (for instance, parents busted for pics of kids in the tub) that has occurred here in the USA causes me to question whether or not the laws should exist in the first place. Many lives have been adversely affected as a result of these laws that are supposed to protect the kids.
LINK:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/18/japan-bans-child-porn_n_5506114.html