TOKYO — 7-Eleven Japan, along with another Japanese convenience store retailer, Lawson, both publicized today that they plan to stop selling adult-themed magazines and explicit manga comics by the end of August.
The retailers cited concerns that the exposure to porn and manga material may “tarnish” the country’s image amid an expected surge in foreign visitors with the Rugby World Cup, which begins in late September, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Convenience stories are ubiquitous in Japan, and sales of adult magazines and manga content, which are typically displayed alongside regular reading material, have prompted attempts to shield minors from porn influences.
7-Eleven Japan and Lawson retail store figures are significant — combined, they have more than 35,000 stores. 7-Eleven operates 20,700 stores nationwide, while Lawson has 14,600 outlets.
Last year, another Japanese convenience store, Ministop, also banned adult material. Ministop has 2,000 stores nationwide.
Japan’s Family Mart also has done the same at 2,000 of its 16,000 outlets.
Most adult-themed adult material in Japan is displayed under a plastic sleeve, which warns that underage customers are prohibited from buying it.
