Home > News > ‘Obscene’ Videos Prompt Arrests in Japan • Bookmark   • Newsletters   • Register Search Options

NEWS STORY

‘Obscene’ Videos Prompt Arrests in Japan

Five individuals arrested, including video industry censor, for allowing obscene videos to enter Japanese market
âObsceneâ Videos Prompt Arrests in Japan
Get XBIZ News
XBIZ Research
Should governments have the power / ability to stop content piracy? (e.g. SOPA / PROTECT IP)
Yes
  45.22%
No
  45.22%
Undecided
  9.57%
Out of 230 votes. Results based on votes submitted by members of XBIZ.net social network.
Wednesday, Mar 5, 2008    Text size: 
TOKYO — Five men were arrested over the weekend, including the head of the screening department of the Nihon Ethics of Video Association (NEVA) Katsumi Ono, for failure to screen two DVDs that did not comply with obscenity standards.

NEVA’s panel of scholars, former journalists and film experts screens adult videos produced by 90 Japanese production companies to determine if they comply with standards and regulations.

Ono was arrested on suspicion of assisting sales of the explicit DVDs after approving the videos, in June 2006, without properly screening them for potentially obscene content. Reportedly, 13,000 copies of the explicit DVDs were available on the Japanese market.

The other four men that were arrested were video industry executives on suspicion of selling the DVDs, including h.m.p. Productions President Hiroyuki Gorokawa and Attone Communication President Yukio Umezawa.

NEVAKO stated that the producers should be held responsible for distributing of the DVDs, since the association has no control over sales.

In Japan, explicit sexual activity and genitalia shown in videos must be obscured by a process known as “mosaicing.”

The two videos were produced by h.m.p. and contained scenes showing genitalia, which were mosaiced but, according to authorities, viewers could still make out body parts.

The release of the videos sparked competition from other video companies to produce more explicit content, which also coincided with what police authorities said was a relaxing of guidelines by NEVA. The shift in standards was encouraged by producers including Umezawa, and apparently was supported by Ono.

The rise of explicit content available on the Internet has also been blamed for the loosening of obscenity standards in Japan, and recently, adult production companies have been pushing for less strict regulations. The arrests mark the first time that an ethics association official has been implicated in a case involving adult videos, and may lead to more stringent regulations.

NEVA was formed in 1972 and funded by adult film production companies, which then helped to compile standards and restrictions for the industry, including the decision to ban displays of explicit sex or genitalia.

After the arrests, the director-general of the NEVA denied the association had become more permissive after the industry began seeing less video products submitted for screening and shrinking group membership.

More ways to get XBIZ News:  RSS Feeds  |  E-Newsletters  |  Desktop Widget  |  Mobile
Looking for porn star news and behind-the-scene videos? Check out XFANZ.com !

LEGAL PERSPECTIVES

Need for Serious Value in Content

Most adult entertainment business owners know that distributing sexually explicit materials exposes them to the possibility of prosecution for violation of obscenity laws. But while many know that the... More »

Romney? Perry? 5 Things to Prepare for

It’s the fall of 2011, and the U.S. unemployment rate is at 9.1 percent and the economy appears too many to be heading back into recession. It is not surprising that President Obama’s approval... More »

Killing the Messenger: The Campaign Against Online Escort Advertising Sites

The recent guilty plea by Escorts.com has ignited interest in the legal issues surrounding the operation of an online escort site.  In this two-part blog post, the author will examine real-world examples... More »
XBIZ NEWSLETTERS
Stay informed of the latest industry developments. Get XBIZ newsletters delivered to your inbox. Subscribe today!
Enter email address:

* To manage existing subscriptions click here.






POPULAR PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Submit your press release to
multiple news outlets with 1 click.
Subscribe to RSS news feeds or
add free content to your website.
Access XBIZ news and articles
with your mobile device.
Access the latest issues of the industry's premier trade journals in digital format - view online or download for offline viewing!

UPCOMING EVENTS

XBIZ London Gathering

Feb 23 - Feb 23
Truckles Wine Bar in Holborn

Adult Entertainment Virtual Convention

Feb 24 - Feb 26
World Wide Web

The European Summit

Mar 05 - Mar 08
Barcelona, Spain

International Lingerie Show

Mar 26 - Mar 28
Las Vegas, Nevada
Everyday thousands of business professionals browse XBIZ's industry directory for quality products and services. Not listed yet? Your company could be losing potential new business. Submit your company today!
Use XBIZ RSS feeds to stay informed of the latest industry developments or as a content syndication tool for your website!