censorship on japanese tv

[Hashira 0]

Been wondering about this for a while, but why are so many things blurred out on Japanese TV?

The most common thing I think is license plates, which I understand in a way, but sems strange. Example one is a segment about bad drivers. They will show cars going against traffic rules, and confront the drivers, but blur out the license plate and usually driver's face when they do so. I'm sure they're worreid about getting sued or something, but I would have thought that you couldn't possibly be sued for recording something that is happening in a public place. Example two, however, is blurring out license plates in the background of a video. Even on travel shows or variety, or whatever, when the on-air peoplewalk in front of cars, the plates are often blurred out.

Next is faces and voices of "eyewitnesses". It is very rare for the face of an eyewitness to a crime, or even someone who "lives in the area" to be shown. The camera almost always is pointed at their legs, and their voices are often altered. I'm assuming it's because these people are worried about reprisals if they say something to the press, but it often seems strange, as I saw the man who helped capture the killer Miyazaki a few years ago didn't have his face shown when being interviewed after the news of his execuation had been released. If anything, one would think that this man would be a hero, but he still doesn't want his face to be seen? It would seem to be linked to the Japanese ddesire for privacy, like using nicknames and character pictures on mixi, while the rest of the world uses real names and pictures on facebook, but it makes me doubt the authenticity of the story. If the viewers can't see their faces or even hear their voices, how are we to know it's not just some TV station employee throwing on an apron and giving a line that will catch the big ratings at 6 o'clock?

Another thing I had forgotten about, but was reminded about by the Miyazaki coverage is the blurring of handcuffs. They will show a large group of police officers, the suspect, with his hands clearly in front of him under a jacket, but will blur the front of him. Are they afraid of revealing the police's "secret weapon"?

If anybody has any information about these (to me) curious practices, I would be very interested. Most of all, I'm wondering if they are absolutely legally required to do these things, if they do them just to be on the safe side and avoid lawsuits, or if it's an industry or company-based practice, and what the logic might be behind them.

Thanks for any tidbits of wisdom

[Kintamayama 45,082]

I always wondered what the point of blurring out genitalia in Japanese porn movies is. They are PORN movies, not travelogues. The whole POINT in porn movies (so I am told, I never watch them..) is to see them. I understand it's some sort of moral issue, but these are hard core porn movies.

That's like showing a live concert of "The Who" for example, without the soundtrack.

Or showing a baseball game, but without the runs.

Or a football game, without the goals and final score.

Or a cooking show on TV blurring out the food.

You get the gist.

[Jakusotsu 5,953]

Social responsibility. Not for the "victims", but for the blurring industry. There are a million of employees in Japan who earn their meal ticket by blurring, so they just keep them busy. Same reason as for every Japanese smoking cigarettes and eating whale.

[Harry 67]

To the original poster, unfortunately I don't know if those blurring rules are due to Japanese laws or just convention or to make it look more sensational than it is, "names were changed to protect the innocent". I suspect it is for legal reasons, however.

I always wondered what the point of blurring out genitalia in Japanese porn movies is. They are PORN movies, not travelogues. The whole POINT in porn movies (so I am told, I never watch them..) is to see them. I understand it's some sort of moral issue, but these are hard core porn movies.

That's like showing a live concert of "The Who" for example, without the soundtrack.

Or showing a baseball game, but without the runs.

Or a football game, without the goals and final score.

Or a cooking show on TV blurring out the food.

You get the gist.

In manga instead of blurring out people's genitals they just don't draw them at all! They show characters who are naked but there is just nothing down there! It looks odd. Strangely you can draw them on robots and cyborgs, just not people. My favorite manga, Ganmu Last Order had a very funny issue last year where "chin chin kun" is a large attack robot or cyborg and its 'weapon' is a giant penis with testicles just in case you weren't sure if that was really the intent! Breasts are fine though, you can draw breasts on anyone you like. Odd rules.

To become a bit sumo related, I'm told that the "mawashi falls off, you lose" rule is relatively new to sumo and is only because of western values which they picked up in the last century. It used to be that they didn't care if it fell off. Mawashi and fundoshi are kind of like thongs which are considered a bit risque here in the west but it seems buttocks didn't have the same fascination in asia; perhaps they do now.

[Takemi 0]

To the original poster, unfortunately I don't know if those blurring rules are due to Japanese laws or just convention or to make it look more sensational than it is, "names were changed to protect the innocent". I suspect it is for legal reasons, however.

I always wondered what the point of blurring out genitalia in Japanese porn movies is. They are PORN movies, not travelogues. The whole POINT in porn movies (so I am told, I never watch them..) is to see them. I understand it's some sort of moral issue, but these are hard core porn movies.

That's like showing a live concert of "The Who" for example, without the soundtrack.

Or showing a baseball game, but without the runs.

Or a football game, without the goals and final score.

Or a cooking show on TV blurring out the food.

You get the gist.

In manga instead of blurring out people's genitals they just don't draw them at all! They show characters who are naked but there is just nothing down there! It looks odd. Strangely you can draw them on robots and cyborgs, just not people. My favorite manga, Ganmu Last Order had a very funny issue last year where "chin chin kun" is a large attack robot or cyborg and its 'weapon' is a giant penis with testicles just in case you weren't sure if that was really the intent! Breasts are fine though, you can draw breasts on anyone you like. Odd rules.

To become a bit sumo related, I'm told that the "mawashi falls off, you lose" rule is relatively new to sumo and is only because of western values which they picked up in the last century. It used to be that they didn't care if it fell off. Mawashi and fundoshi are kind of like thongs which are considered a bit risque here in the west but it seems buttocks didn't have the same fascination in asia; perhaps they do now.

I wonder what they would call that kimarite, and who his skilled enough to undo the opponents mawashi among todays rikishis? :-)

[Kintamayama 45,082]

I wonder what they would call that kimarite

Chinkonabe? Isamiosu? Chiisainaa?

[Bealzbob 0]

Thanks for any tidbits of wisdom

A thread on censorship where, ironically, the word titbit is censored to the American version :D because 'tit' is naughty teehee.

[Jonosuke 28]

About license plates.

They are just like your social security/insurance numbers and the holders can be identified. There is no specific law stating they cannot but the broadcaster can be successfully sued for violation of privacy. For a broadcaster to show someone's license plate, they will need to have a specific permission from the individual. In most news stories and others, they don't bother to get the permission so if they happen to drive by and are in the video segment, they are most likely unrelated to the story so they cannot be connected or identified with it. So they have to mosaic the plates.

About eyewitnesses. If the news gathering organizations receive the permission from the persons, then they can show them but most people rarely want to be identified with a crime story especially if perpetrators may be connected with organized crime groups. Even if not, the guilty parties could eventually leave from a prison and they can come back to haunt them so that's the reason for their reluctance.

Broadcasters have an association they all belong and they have their code of conduct they all agree to adhere to. Anything that is not specifically related to the story told, they would need to obfuscate. For instance I was watching NHK's News9 today and there was a story about global warning and how Japan needs to be prepared for the consequence such as by the year 2100, their river water level could go up by 50 cm or something. Well during the narrative, they showed a river with levee but they did make all the houses and buildings fuzzy so they could not be identified. They can certainly show the Tokyo Tower freely but not privately owed houses. If there is a news story about a certain company housed in an office tower, they cannot go into the building and show the office (it's a private property) so what they do is to show from outside and identify it as a building which the company office occupies.

As for Moti's porn. There is a strict porn law which prohibits explicit display of genitalia images in Japan so any site that is based there must be in accordance or they will get busted. Actually Japanese police arrested a person who created a software to un-mosaic the mosaic. There are hard core video in Japan but the possession or selling of them is a rather serious offense but I am sure certain shops in Kabuki cho will sell you one if they know you well.

[kaiguma 0]

Thanks for any tidbits of wisdom

A thread on censorship where, ironically, the word titbit is censored to the American version :D because 'tit' is naughty teehee.

while it would be funny if an American started the thread, since we over-censor things compared to most of Europe, Hashira appears to be Canadian and I have no clue what can or can't be seen on Canadian television. I only felt the need to chime in here because I am a dictionary hound and tidbit is actually the root, while titbit is in fact the derived form, so you could say that the British are exploitative and lewd for altering the original

:-D

Anywho, back to the topic at hand, japanese pornography...

I love the irony of a massive movement to conceal genitalia upended (no pun intended) by the victory of the porn industry in noticing that this does not include the anus. Whoops! Excreta is also totally on the table. Whoops! Who put that there? Violently excreting baby eels from the rectum? Move along, nothing to see here, it's just not part of jurisdiction... so we won't blur that.

Many many years later, the law remains unchanged to cover this...loophole. Inside interests must be involved ;-)

[Kintamayama 45,082]

As for Moti's porn.

I wish.

[sekihiryu 51]

Or a football game, without the goals and final score.

good one :-)

[Guest Takamichinoku]

Well far as i know on Censorship law...................was to protect Minor's from seeing the genitalia

Of who ever were showing at plan view.

But far as i study Censorship in Tokyo wasn't as bad until like the 1930s. Had to tighten the Law.

Beacuse to many innocent children were being vailated by these things' swain on tv.

I believe to a certain exetain thier should be censorship laws to protect our innocent people,

From viewing. Or what we could do is lock thier tv's with a secret code only adults know about.

Put into the tv-programming system.

But i foget get sometimes that you cannot avoid somethings in life

But for now thier should be censorship laws for now.........................................

Your favorite Shawan... have a nice day everybody :-)

[Hashira 0]

Thanks to Jonosuke for the detailed response and to Moti et al for going off topic and delving into a very important area of study.

Just wondering if anyone knows anything specifically about the handcuffs, are they not allowed to show them because it will make people biased against the criminal or something?

sorry for the slow response, but there's a new little human in the house who is constantly crying and pooping.