Tokyo bans sales of X-rated manga cartoons to under-18s

[The Straight Story]

Tokyo bans sales of X-rated manga cartoons to under-18s

Manga cartoons are popular with children and adults, both inside and outside their homeland, Japan.

However, modern-day manga can contain themes such as rape and incest.

Officials in Tokyo have now banned comics containing explicit subjects to under 18-year-olds.

Nicole Rousmaniere is the director of the Sainsbury Institute and an expert on manga.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/12/101217_manga_wup_sl.shtml

[Art_from_Ark]

1. So now all those under-18s will just go to the Internet

or get an 18-year-old friend to buy them

[ladjf]

2. In principle, it would be in the best interests of under-18's if they

could avoid exposure to explicit topics of sex and violence. Otherwise, their normal sequence of psychiatric development could be altered to their disadvantage. However, due to the free access to
INTERNET and other media, it is impossible to shield them from it.

About the only defense possible is for vigilant and caring parents to communicate with their children, giving them thoughtful rationals as to why they should chose to avoid spending time viewing potentially harmful materials. It's the same logic a good parent would use in counseling a child against sexual activities at an age that is to undeveloped to handle it. Yet at the same time, the wise parent would give the child as much information on the topic as is appropriate.