Tenga, a Japanese manufacturer of adult sex aids, entered two products, “The Deep Throat Cup” and “The Rolling Head Cup,” at the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Association’s multi-staged Good Design Award show, which honors top designers throughout the country.
According to Tenga President Koichi Matsumoto, the entry cleared initial stages of the contest, only to be denied access without a suitable explanation at the 11th hour.
“With my entry, I mentioned that these products prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and cut down on sex crimes and that they also permit the elderly and disabled to enjoy sex," Matsumoto said.
After first being told that he could not display his products in such a way that they could be touched by the women expected to be present at the show, and then being informed that he would not be able to display his entries at all, Matsumoto learned his final fate the day of the contest, when officials told him that he would not be eligible at all.
"I asked them to tell me what I'd done wrong or where in the competition guidelines it said my products couldn't take part in the competition, but all they did was tell me that the decision was final," Matsumoto said. "In the end, I had to do what they said and I dismantled the booth one day into the exhibition."
An association spokesman offered an explanation that didn’t appease Matsumoto.
"We eliminated it from contention for the award because we weren't able to test the products," an association spokesman said. "Mind you, it was the first time we've ever had products of this ilk submitted for consideration for an award and I must admit we have a few regrets that we weren't able to provide the firm handling it required."
Matsumoto insists that the show knew the exact nature of his products because he was very clear in his written application, saying that he even included a photo of a man using one of the devices.