Japan Bans Child Porn

Japan’s legislative body on Wednesday passed a law banning the possession of child pornography. However, the law excludes the depiction of sexual acts with children in “manga” comic books, anime, and video games. Apparently the publishers believed such a ban would violate their right to free speech. The law outlines a prison sentence of up to one year and fines of $9,800 for an offender. It will also have a year-long grace period for people to dispose of the offending materials. Japan is a major center for both the production, distribution, and consumption of child pornography.