TOKYO — A Japanese legislative proposal passed into law on Wednesday, allowing anyone who signs a contract to appear in “pornographic productions” to void that contract at any time for any reason.
As XBIZ has reported, a legislative debate in recent weeks about lowering the age of legal majority in Japan quickly devolved into a sensationalist campaign about adult performers aged 18-19; the age-of-majority bill was passed unanimously in a plenary session of the nation's House of Representatives in late May, and this week passed at a plenary session of the House of Councillors, the upper house of Japan's legislature.
Japanese newspaper The Mainichi described the new law as "marking a step in efforts to end abuses of those involved in the industry in Japan."
The law "allows people who agree to appear in pornographic content to terminate their contracts at any time before the film's public release without conditions, as well as up to a year afterward," reported The Mainichi. "However, as a special measure, a review period of up to two years after a film's release will apply for the first two years after the law's promulgation. If the contract is terminated, video vendors are obliged to recover the products and delete the footage, and cannot claim compensation from the performers."
The new law also mandates that "a month must pass between the signing of a contract and the filming of the video, and four months between the filming of the video and its public release," noted the newspaper. "This gives enough time for those who appear in them to reconsider whether they still want to make the film and release it. Producers must additionally provide a written explanation to performers describing the nature of the content, including specific sexual acts required during filming, and the fact that they may be identifiable."
Punishment for violating the new law includes hefty fines and a prison term of up to three years.
The Mainichi notes that "the definition of pornography as 'video productions of sexual acts' has been met with protests from support groups and others, who argue that the bill would legalize the exchange of money for sex," which lawmakers have disputed.