一
贯平静的日本动漫界与东京都保守派知事因一项新法令展开较量，该法令严格限制在东京销售含有其所称"过激"色情描写的动漫图书。双方的争执越闹越大，连日本首相菅直人（Naoto Kan）都试图化解漫画产业和东京都政府之间的分歧，漫画产业是日本最重要的文化出口产品之一。一些动漫师和出版社说将会抵制明年三月的东京国际动漫节。
这将会对日本深受喜爱的动漫图书销量造成不良影响。随着中国的崛起，日本经济逐渐失色，日本文化出口是其为数不多的在全球颇具活力的领域之一。
Reuters
日本东京都知事石原慎太郎(Shintaro Ishihara)
菅直人周一在其博客上写道，年轻人的成长是大事；但同时向世界展示日本的动漫也很重要；我希望相关人员做出努力，从而保持东京对国际动漫节的主办权。
此前，东京法律规定限制18岁以下的人购买或翻阅含有强奸、性犯罪、乱伦和"违反道德的色情行为和图像"的动漫作品。周三，东京都议会（Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly）颁布的一项法令对该法律进行了扩充。随着法律范围的扩大、规定变得更清晰，东京都政府将有权判定更多的动漫是"不健康书籍"，对这些书籍的销售和销售方式进行限制。
包括讲谈社（Kodansha Ltd.）、集英社（Shueisha Inc.）和株式会社角川书店（Kadokawa Group Publishing）在内的日本10大出版社说，他们将拒绝参加明年的国际动漫节。今年的动漫节吸引了10万多人参加，创历史新高。这些出版社说，东京都知事石原慎太郎（Shintaro Ishihara）领导的东京都政府事先未与出版社和动漫师就该法令进行讨论。动漫师说，新法令将会扼杀他们的表达自由和创造力。
这些出版社说，东京都议会在未经过充分讨论的情况下制定了这项法令，我们认为这是很恶劣的行为。日本杂志协会（Japan Magazine Publishers Association）也和10大出版社站在同一阵营。
Associated Press
大部分日本动漫都没有色情内容，《龙珠》（Dragon Ball）、《火影忍者》（Naruto）和《美少女战士》（Sailor Moon）等国际知名的动漫吸引着全球各个年龄层的读者。
但与西方不同的是，在日本，阅读描写色情行为的动漫是社会所能接受的。身着西装的日本上班族若无其事地翻阅色情动漫场景不是什么新鲜事。在东京的各大便利店都能买到色情杂志，封面是日本女学生打扮的女人，封面也没有任何遮盖物。
唯一的折中办法是，给这类出版物标上"仅限成人"并且封起来，防止逛商店的人偷看里面的内容。
（本文版权归道琼斯公司所有，未经许可不得翻译或转载。）
A battle has erupted between the normally placid manga community and Tokyo's conservative governor over a new law that heavily restricts sales in the city of manga comic books with what the ordinance calls 'extreme' depictions of sex.
The brouhaha has become so big that even Prime Minister Naoto Kan is attempting to bridge the divide between the industry, producer of one of Japan's most cherished cultural exports, and Tokyo's metropolitan government. A group of manga artists and publishers has said it will boycott Tokyo's massive International Anime Fair in March.
That threat could hobble sales of the country's beloved comic books. As Japan's economic star continues to be eclipsed by China, cultural exports remain one of Japan's few globally robust sectors.
People around the world know of Japan partly through its vivid, fantasy-world array of manga characters: cats with magical powers, humans who morph into robots, boys who slay dragons and girls with superpowers.
'Upbringing of youth is an important matter. But at the same time, it's also important to present Japan's anime to the world,' Mr. Kan wrote on his blog Monday. 'I would like people concerned to make an effort so Tokyo won't need to step down as the host of the International Anime Fair.'
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Wednesday enacted an ordinance that vastly expands a law meant to restrict people younger than 18 from purchasing or flipping through manga depicting rape, sex crimes, incest and 'sexually explicit acts and graphic images that are not acceptable morally.' By making previous rules broader and more clear, the Tokyo government will have the authority to deem more manga as 'unwholesome books,' which restrict where and how they can be sold.
A group of 10 major Japanese publishers, including Kodansha Ltd., Shueisha Inc. and Kadokawa Group Publishing Co., said they will refuse to take part in the anime fair, which this year attracted more than 100,000 people, a record. The publishers said that the Tokyo government, led by Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, didn't discuss the ordinance in advance with publishers and artists. Artists said the new rules will stifle their freedom of expression and creativity.
'We cannot help but say it is a vicious act that [the Tokyo metropolitan assembly] enacted the ordinance without full-fledged discussions,' said the group, which includes the Japan Magazine Publishers Association.
Nobuhiro Komiya, an official in the department in charge of the ordinance revision, said the government held discussions with publishers twice and tried to hold a third meeting that the publishers' refused to attend. 'It's really regrettable that they say such a thing. That's not true,' Mr. Komiya said.
The vast majority of manga in Japan aren't pornographic, with internationally known titles such as 'Dragon Ball,' 'Naruto' and 'Sailor Moon' attracting global readers of all ages.
But what sets Japan apart from much of the West is that here it is considered socially acceptable to read manga depicting sexually explicit acts. It is common to sit next to a suit-wearing Japanese commuter who is nonchalantly paging through cartoon sex scenes. Pornographic magazines with women dressed as Japanese schoolgirls on the cover are available at convenience stores around Tokyo, without anything obscuring the cover.
The only concession is that such publications are labeled 'adult-only' and sealed shut, preventing browsers from peeking inside.
The brouhaha has become so big that even Prime Minister Naoto Kan is attempting to bridge the divide between the industry, producer of one of Japan's most cherished cultural exports, and Tokyo's metropolitan government. A group of manga artists and publishers has said it will boycott Tokyo's massive International Anime Fair in March.
That threat could hobble sales of the country's beloved comic books. As Japan's economic star continues to be eclipsed by China, cultural exports remain one of Japan's few globally robust sectors.
People around the world know of Japan partly through its vivid, fantasy-world array of manga characters: cats with magical powers, humans who morph into robots, boys who slay dragons and girls with superpowers.
'Upbringing of youth is an important matter. But at the same time, it's also important to present Japan's anime to the world,' Mr. Kan wrote on his blog Monday. 'I would like people concerned to make an effort so Tokyo won't need to step down as the host of the International Anime Fair.'
The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Wednesday enacted an ordinance that vastly expands a law meant to restrict people younger than 18 from purchasing or flipping through manga depicting rape, sex crimes, incest and 'sexually explicit acts and graphic images that are not acceptable morally.' By making previous rules broader and more clear, the Tokyo government will have the authority to deem more manga as 'unwholesome books,' which restrict where and how they can be sold.
A group of 10 major Japanese publishers, including Kodansha Ltd., Shueisha Inc. and Kadokawa Group Publishing Co., said they will refuse to take part in the anime fair, which this year attracted more than 100,000 people, a record. The publishers said that the Tokyo government, led by Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, didn't discuss the ordinance in advance with publishers and artists. Artists said the new rules will stifle their freedom of expression and creativity.
'We cannot help but say it is a vicious act that [the Tokyo metropolitan assembly] enacted the ordinance without full-fledged discussions,' said the group, which includes the Japan Magazine Publishers Association.
Nobuhiro Komiya, an official in the department in charge of the ordinance revision, said the government held discussions with publishers twice and tried to hold a third meeting that the publishers' refused to attend. 'It's really regrettable that they say such a thing. That's not true,' Mr. Komiya said.
The vast majority of manga in Japan aren't pornographic, with internationally known titles such as 'Dragon Ball,' 'Naruto' and 'Sailor Moon' attracting global readers of all ages.
But what sets Japan apart from much of the West is that here it is considered socially acceptable to read manga depicting sexually explicit acts. It is common to sit next to a suit-wearing Japanese commuter who is nonchalantly paging through cartoon sex scenes. Pornographic magazines with women dressed as Japanese schoolgirls on the cover are available at convenience stores around Tokyo, without anything obscuring the cover.
The only concession is that such publications are labeled 'adult-only' and sealed shut, preventing browsers from peeking inside.
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