If you have ever watched Japanese porn — and you probably have — you’d know that the juiciest parts are blurred or pixelated. But, you’d also know that Japanese porn has bravely ventured into genres where few have gone, from extreme BDSM to introducing some unheard of genres such as tentacles.
But why would they allow such juicy porn and censor it? Does it make sense? Well, this piece takes a deeper look at why the Japanese take out your juicy parts. Come along!
What Is Censorship?
Censorship is prohibiting or suppressing any parts of a film, news, book, or any other type of media that are considered a threat to security, obscene, or politically unacceptable. Japan’s constitution forbids censorship. But in regards to pornography, censorship is allowed under article 175 of the criminal code of Japan.
Censorship in Japan has a long history dating back to the famous Edo period (1600–1868). During this time, the samurai-led government had banned Christian publications, both Japanese and Western. The criminal code of Japan prohibits anyone from sharing indecent materials. Due to this code, one can expect a penalty for showcasing obscene materials.
To circumvent this code, the Japanese adult content artists simply blur the genitalia of the actors. So, for example, when you begin to watch a Japanese porn film, the intimate parts are simply blurred by the production house.
Article 175, in 2004 and for the first time in over two decades, was used against the creator of Manga Missitsu, Suwa Yuuji. The Manga in question contains erotic art scenes, and considering the porn censorship in Japan and the criminal code of Japan, the creator was accused of sharing indecent material.
Japan’s Legal Terms in Pornography
Pornography in Japan is very different from pornography in the western world. For example, what is considered pornography in the Western world is referred to as Adult Videos in Japan. So Japanese porn is referred to as Japanese Adult Videos, initialized as JAV.
In English, animated adult films are known as Hentai, while in Japan these films are known as adult anime. In addition, in Japan, exposure of pubic hair and other genitalia is considered a crime and can be punished by imprisonment.
Surprisingly the breasts are not part of these pornography rules in Japan, and therefore, you will find that they are not censored. The reason can be traced back to the origins of Japanese porn and the preserved Shunga prints.
Unlike in today’s world, where big breasts are eroticized, breasts have not been such a big deal in Japan. Therefore a painting containing breasts cannot be taken seriously as a painting containing exposed genitals.
Historical Impact
Japan has some exciting fetishes when it comes to porn and to say that they are interested in different things is an understatement. For example, the Japanese have a fetish for tentacles, and no matter how interesting this is, they have more than just tentacles in their porn films.
The Japanese porn industry is as old as the humps. It dates back to 794 AD when an erotic art known as Shunga sprang up. The art contains sexual acts between men and men and between women and women.
During the second world war, Japan had banned all forms of pornography. So as much as the western has a fetish for Japanese porn, Japanese people also have a fetish for Western porn. Well, they have a name for it, and they call it Yamano.
Due to this fetish, some people blame the Americans for the development of porn in Japan. For example, American pornography exploded in the Japanese porn film industry when the Japanese discovered ‘Playboy.’
Asian Conservatism
Asians are pretty conservative people. That is why it affects their porn industry, such that there is a lot of censorship and pixelation. The films also pass ethic checks before they can see the light of day.
Asians also push their children to concentrate on their studies and disregard surfing the internet. As a result, in most schools in Asia and more so in Japan, children cannot access porn materials, unlike in many western countries.
Genital Perception
Asians are also very conservative people. As such, they are not the kind of people to talk about their personal factors in the open. This does not mean that they do not have interesting fetishes or fun things to do. Rather it means they prefer to keep the details private.
However, younger Asians, especially those who grew up in the United States, tend to be more open. They also tend to share their views openly. In Western countries, people don’t see any big deal when talking about their genitalia or other people’s genitalia. This is why unlike in the Asian world, the pornography industry is growing each day and introducing new things daily.
In Asia, things are very different. The best example of this is the adult film industry in Japan, where all genitals are censored in porn, no matter where it originates from.
Final Words
So, why are there porn blurs in Japan when they can as well do away with porn? Why allow people to watch porn but limit how much they can see? The main reason people watch porn is to see the organs getting down and dirty.
As we have seen, some of the reasons for censoring porn in Japan are because the Japanese are pretty conservative people. Think of it as a cultural thing. Either way, things are what they are, and we can only enjoy JAV porn as it is. Of course, it’s possible to find uncensored Japanese porn, but it’s a question of whether it’s genuine Japanese porn or not.