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Obscenity In Japan: Moral Guidance Without Legal Guidance, Amanda Dobbins

Amanda Dobbins

Article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code is a short, two sentence article governing the concept of obscenity in Japan and its related punishment. It is the only law governing obscenity in Japan. The Japanese courts have long struggled to interpret this article, how to reconcile it with the ban on censorship present in the Japanese Constitution, and how to apply it to the various genres of artistic creation. The result has been inconsistent rulings that have created confusion in the minds of Japanese artists and has had the effect of suppressing artistic expression. The article is outdated, vague, and …