Why does hentai need to be censored?

I cant be the only one revolted by the lightsaber penis and the censored vaginas.

Hmm, I`ve always wondered this too! Like, I find it so interesting how on TV they'll show someone get mutilated and have their head chopped off and gruesome violence, but they won't dare show genitals? I always thought it was strange!

Japan has censorship laws where no nudity can be shown, animated or real. So one can't see vaginas and penises in porn or hentai.

And just why the fuck is it called a Lightsaber penis anyway?

Wrong section, bro. Should be in Manga, Doujinshi, and Video Discussion.

Like Randomness said, Japan says "no genitalia" so it all has to be censored. Why is it called a "lightsaber penis" sometimes? That should be obvious. Instead of a dick being there it's only a shaft of fuzzy light.

Meh, its just the Japanese policy. Deal with it.

I heard somewhere that it came about as part of the surrender treaty at the end of WWII. the prudish westerners were apalled by the open and free sexuality of japan and feared it's spread to the good christian youth of the US.

i will look for citations later.

I've heard and believed this story too... unfortunately, it's not *exactly* true. Japan has had a long history of censorship, long before the Americans penned the new constitution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Japan

Alright now that I know the history but the only thing I dont understand is that since its pornographic and you know what your going to read/watch whats the point of it being censored.

If we were the one who came up with the censorship we'd gladly answer your question. But, you're asking the wrong people mate. It's like asking something about physics to an Accountant.

Hard to respond besides, "different cultures", for example the United States has words and events like death, kill and sex are banned/altered in its cartoons. Yet, Mexico is more lenient around those words and events.

Such as Dragon Ball Z, Raditz and Goku are more than likely not getting shown to get pierced by Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon, yet, Mexico and Japan allow that stuff in TV, of course, not everything gets a free pass as for all three countries has different standards.

Same for Germany, they banned Doom (the original PC game) due to it being too violent and heard news that the ban JUST got lifted since the gore and violence is not realistic enough like other games.


Over in the US, violence is less restricted than sex, the opposite for Europe and the situation being different in Japan when it comes to censorship issues.

I feel your pain bro, the censorship issue in japan is stupid! I don't like lightsaber penis, I call it STEALTH PECKER or INVISO-DICK. What do you think? Am I on to something here?

You can also call it negetive space.

nothing there says otherwise. following the citations i found that article 175 was drafted in 1947, only two years after the war ended. i didn't see anything that said it was directly linked to the treaty, but i suspect it was atleast partialy influenced. i'll look up the treaty itself later to see if there is anything there.





logic and common sense are not often found in politics and bureaucracy. i suspect that it's mostly principle at this point. "because it's the law, that's why!"

Just the Japanese Policies, it's quite annoying. Now and again you get lucky though, i've found quite a few uncensored works.