'Vagina kayak' artist convicted in obscenity case

Just in case you forgot, ladies... your vagina is obscene and vulgar and is meant to be hidden, and the penis is a thing to be revered and celebrated.

The only thing obscene about this case are the prosecutors.

Seriously? Anime child porn okay.... Giant penis festival okay.... One woman with 3D scanner and printer not okay?

The vagina kayak was found not to be obscene. Her code (1s and 0s) however, was found to be obscene. This case highlights the silliness of the laws. I was surprised that the judge here was a female as well, though maybe she simply ruled by the letter of the law.

Quite disappointing but not at all surprising. To be arrested for showing and distributing, not the real stuff, but models and computer code of your genitals, shows yet again that Japan is stuck in the past. The huge porn industry goes on untouched because it's yak funded (and needed by those sexless oyaji), and it makes a sh!tload of money. One woman comes along, kicking a rotten system in the teeth and she gets arrested? What a waste of money.

I wish her the best with the appeals and at the same time hope Japan joins the grown-up country club sometime this century.

While Japan has a multi-billion-dollar pornography industry, actual depictions of genitalia are banned.

This law is very selectively and arbitrarily applied, at best (which seems to be the case with most 'rules' in Japan).

For instance, one thing of many that has puzzled me about its application is that if depictions of actual genitalia are illegal, how is it that the media is able to publish photos of the vagina kayak? Wouldn't those photos equally be considered depictions of a person's actual genitals?

Yeah but, parading around with two meter penis on top of your head while sucking on a penis shaped iceblock at a festival is fine. Hypocrites!

Just in case you forgot, ladies... your vagina is obscene and vulgar and is meant to be hidden, and the penis is a thing to be revered and celebrated.

no, you're wrong. they also sell vagina candy during the festival, too. and as the article states in the penultimate paragraph, images of both can be seen throughout the country. the prosecutors in this case are just playing hardball with her bc she's the nail that wishes to stick out.

It's so pathetic but it makes the Japanese authorities seem to be nothing less than moronic....

She is 44?

"While Japan has a multi-billion-dollar pornography industry, actual depictions of genitalia are banned." But Penis Parades and food in the shape of a penis at local festivals with kids is okay? I'm confused!!!!!!

Penis-shaped canoes can't be far behind.

It is really silly and display how Japanese habits and law are still so prehistoric and arbotrarily discriminatory... Fallus and vagina-shaped tools and gadget can not only be sold in shops but also publicly and very evidently put on display intraditional feasts and temples... now you are not gonna tel me that if it is for a religious relation or a registered business, the concept of 'voulgar' changes...?

BBC tells a different story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36247459

To mods : Do you really consider the word Berk, to be more offensive than using the word twat as a descriptive term for the artist's anatomy.

In my view the word twat is reserved for idiots, like wc626

She has been fined for selling the digital data of her private bits. This is the law in Japan, which also includes all kinds of porn and kiddie porn. Her sculptures of golf courses and other things made from plaster casts of her bits are not breaking any laws, hence the photos of them on JT. Sadly, it does seem very hypocritical compared to other openly displayed genitaliar in onsens and at festivals, but the law is there to stop the fiends profiteering from the sale of digital pornographic material. The judge did half the the prosecutor's fine, so he did 'kind of' acknowledge the irregularity if this case. However, I'm sure all this publicity is going to make sculptures and book very popular and she will recoup the cash very quickly.

Computer codes, not images on a CD ROM, obscene material. Now that is stretching it. Like others have pointed out this country has a huge porn industry that skirts on the legal limits. Now that is too hot to handle for the judiciary. Let's go harass some little fish. So sad.

Just in case you forgot, ladies... your vagina is obscene and vulgar and is meant to be hidden, and the penis is a thing to be revered and celebrated.

So why is it pixelated, by law, in porn?

While I don't agree with the court's decision, I think the issue isn't her kayak but rather that she distributed real replicable data of her vajayjay. Pornography publishers could also get in trouble if they were distributing uncensored images of real people's hoo-ha's, peens, and deez nuts. It's an outdated law that needs to change. I mean I really don't see what is so obscene about images of a real vagina or penis but somehow seeing a man splooge on a woman's face or a woman making a man eat a plate of her own feces is somehow NOT obscene. And then of course the censorship regarding some pieces of fine art, including historical ones, and yet more simplified manga drawings of genitalia are A-OK. It's a fine line that's hard to draw and the courts prosecuted her because they didn't want to open up the opportunity for publishers of pornography to push the limits of censorship. Instead of trying and inevitably failing to draw boundaries on obscenity (because really, where do you draw that line?) they really should just get rid of such a vague law. But, sometimes I feel like japan's justice system--and some criminals--thrive on the vagueness of certain laws here.

I agree with many here. What is the actual law re exchange of potential imagery via computer codes?

As there was no distribution of depictions of "actual" genitalia , merely the means to recreate an image, what then is the crime?

It all appears to be a classic case (read normal here) of the prosecutors can't be wronged. Too much face to lose.

I think many Japan Today readers and people around the world are enjoying this vagina kayak spectacle for the brilliant satire that it is.

Igarashi is no fool, but instead is playing the establishment for one. One example, in the main photo accompanying this article, members of her legal team are holding up a sign announcing the trial outcome that says "partially innocent" (一部無罪), and they are all mockingly having a good laugh about the whole ordeal.

She is exposing (pun intended) Japan's legal system and decency laws for the patriarchal farce that they are, and at the same time she is profiting handsomely while gaining worldwide celebrity and even admiration. Rather than acting as a punishment and deterrent against her behavior, all of her time in court and the piddly fines have generated lots of profitable publicity for her.

This is Japan. Whether it be companies or the government, once an undertaking like this ill-advised legal debacle is in motion, it then becomes nearly impossible to put a stop to it, even when it is obvious to everyone that humiliating negative repercussions are unfolding.

The justice system is providing her with far more worldwide attention to her vagina than she ever would have gotten otherwise. Shouldn't the prosecutors' be charged with promoting pornography?

Wow, 31 thumbs down. I didn't realize her genitals were so important

No genitalia, no life!

the prosecutors in this case are just playing hardball with her bc she's the nail that wishes to stick out.

Well, that just shows the general level of intelligence of the judiciary in Japan. If she hadn't had her collar felt, no-one would have heard of her.

Can we please stop hearing about her genitals, there must be something more important you cold publish what still don't get it sensei!? its not just about her vagina, its about the image of any vagina being vulgar, as save the gaijin said a penis can be worshipped and paraded if its disguised as a religion but a vagina is something to be shunned and only taken out at childbirth or at the mans request.

This case is important for art and for reasonable rule of law. The same Oyaji condemning who are condemning her are probably ok with the whole Japanese sex industry because. They let that go because it benefits men. But come down hard on an artist. It is hypocritical.

I hope she takes it all the way she can and wins in the end. Free expression is under attack in Japan, a simple artist may well help fight back. That is why this is news folks, and why it matters.

Meanwhile that silly dildo parading festival and blatant porn magazine on display in convenience stores are ok.

Only in Japan.

What's the big deal? She wants people to ride in her Kayak! It's art people and self expression so get over it. Better then watching a giant penis being paraded around for people to touch. I hope she keeps making everything in the image of her vagina. A vagina house in middle of Tokyo would be a great idea.

Why is this even in the news?

The news consists of stories that the news agency believes are of relevance to its readership/viewership. As can be seen by the comments, the readers have found this story relevant. If they hadn't, there wouldn't be any comment on it.

So to answer your question, it's in the news because it's relevant to a significant portion of those who are consuming the news. It's actually made news world-wide, meaning that it's relevant not just to people in Japan, but in other countries as well.

The people behind this case and verdict are prudish hypocrites.

what about all those chocolate covered bananas at shrine festivals? Isn't that obscene?

That would depend on what you do with the banana.

I think it's a clever, witty, playful piece of Art. It's just a vagina - half of the world's population have them.

The charges against her should have been thrown out of court.

The judge is a complete Berk.

“I’ll appeal to the higher court. I want to fight these charges.”

In most other democratic countries you would give her good odds at getting this overturned. But Japan? I wouldn't bet on it.

Because contemporary news media is driven by clicks and something about Japan will generate more clicks than something about Botswana and something about sex in Japan will generate more clicks than something serious about Japan.

This is serious, Nigelboy, this is about freedom of expression and hypocrisy. One person standing against the crusty old judiciary.

She sold images/3D Printer data of her privates, where she ran awfoul of the law is there was no pixelation/etc as required by law.

In short it was too realistic, that the earned was used to pay for her kayak which was displayed in a porn shop is another matter.

Again the old question where does Art end and where does Pornography start.

All I can say is "up the vagina, Hip hip horray"!!

"Evil unto him who evil thinks" and is a very "appropriate" expression in this case.

It also appears on the coat of arms of the UK royal family, so is a central phrase to the English language.

Why is this even in the news?

Loads of reasons - freedom of speech, artistic expression, the criminalisation of the human body, and over-bearing state etc

Rokude Nashiko, if you're reading this: Best of luck with your work in the future!

Guess negative attention is better than no attention for this starving artist

Lol, some people even go as far as to worship the penis to piss off government. Just a little reminder to all people out there, "Art is everything". And also, this is just my opinion but I really do think that the non-lucid, incoherent, and outdated nature of Japanese laws are the greatest problem of that country.

Let's hope she does better in Ireland with her Musician hubby.

I have seen some of her 'art' and 'interior' pieces she sold.

The lampshades with her vagina backlit might have sold well at village vanguard 15yrs ago. Some of her other art was a military diorama with her vagina being part of the ground and JSDF troopers advancing around it.

Not sure how her English book is selling overseas.

Why is this even in the news?

what about all those chocolate covered bananas at shrine festivals? Isn't that obscene? oh no that's under the guise of religion so that gets a free pass in Japan

This case aside... isn't it just a bit weird that someone would want to make a kayak or dolls shaped like her vagina? I mean... why? I don't care about it one way or the other, but I just think it's a bit odd. I mean who would buy it? You wouldn't have a big bronze knob on your mantlepiece would you?

The judge is a dick.

I think the law being broken is the distribution part. She is distributing, not sharing with consensual partners or others, porn images.

That is a nice ad for her, this affair :) I would gladly encourage her if I could.. she got a website?

You would not think she could possibly lose an obscenity case against selling her (non-mosaic) vagina digital data, but if she won -unfiltered (non-mosaic) pornography on binary DVDs translated into video would be legal.

Japan doesn't get it. All PR! She has set the foundation up to be huge in Europe.

Such important part of the body and (usually) the entrance to the world for human life should be worshiped instead of prosecuted. :-)

I remember the penis festival in Japan I covered for a reportage...I propose a vagina festival.

Just another example of the 'good ole boy' mentality subjugating women.

Remember, there is a festival here where male members are prevalent.

Double Standard, cut & dry.

What's worse is the female judge played into it, but it's her career, playing in the 'boys' sandbox, that she's looking out for. I wouldn't be surprised if she was 'coached' on the verdict.

Have there been any other 'artists' who have used their genitalia as art? She must really think she has a really nice vagina to think people would want to buy representations of it or print their own. (Why?) I still think it's weird. Why doesn't she just go to an art gallery, lie on a bed with her legs open and let people admire the real thing?

Wow, 31 thumbs down. I didn't realize her genitals were so important

commanteerMAY. 10, 2016 - 06:55AM JST

The vagina kayak was found not to be obscene.

True. I think the headline is misleading.

commanteerMAY. 10, 2016 - 06:55AM JST

Her code (1s and 0s) however, was found to be obscene.

These days, any graphic pornography as well as any child pornography is recorded in digital data. Court should not give in to the argument that 0s and 1s are not obscene.

This lady is a bit over the top. Public distribution is sort of weird IMO, and I agree with the prosecutor. If she would of done it in porn or texting, whatever, who cares but this public distribution is where she is wrong

The judge did half the the prosecutor's fine, so he did 'kind of' acknowledge the irregularity if this case.

The judge is a she not a he. That is stated in the article. It is also obvious from the name of the judge.

Why is this even in the news?

Because contemporary news media is driven by clicks and something about Japan will generate more clicks than something about Botswana and something about sex in Japan will generate more clicks than something serious about Japan.

People here are overlooking the actual reason she was arrested for in the first place. She was arrested for distributing pictures of her vagina. A man would be arrested as well if he distributed and showed pictures of his penis here as we

Yes, there is a penis parade, shrine and statues here but there are also vagina statues and figures at the same parade and shrines.

She was not arrested for her kayak but for the pictures. If you think it is all because there is vagina discrimination, I dare you to do the same with your penis and see if you won't get in trouble.

This is the way it is here and I do not support it at all like most of you.

This 44 years old artist's IQ is below 60. Exposing a private body part to others is a crime called Indecent exposure. If her case was not penalized, OK, every single male artist can create art works of his own penis in varioius shapes: one that is standing up, one that is sleeping and one that is a stage of being a half-awake. Then he can display all in an art show and ask her to join to the art show to celebrate a freedom of expression.

i do not have an opened mind for this, sorry to say that.

Can we please stop hearing about her genitals, there must be something more important you cold publish