Someone got downvoted for saying there is a real problem in Japan with sexualization of children. I can guarantee whoever downvoted has no practical knowledge of Japanese society as anyone who lives here is aware of the seedy underbelly. This isn't to say manga or anime are a problem, 99.9% of it is your typical stuff. Even so, having 0.1% of it being child porn is an issue.

Beyond this, the society as a whole has problems with the fetishisation of youth, something even the locals (apart from the psychologists and cultural anthropologists) are typically unaware of the roots of, and something that extends through the music, tv, and other entertainment industries, into the sex industry.

The UK loves focusing on the dark side of Japan. In fact, they seem to have a deeply skewed fixation on the country that only allows them to highlight the weird and kinky (like if all Japan knew about the UK was based on what went on in its gay and red light districts). Maybe its resentment for WWII Japan upsetting their hold on the Far East. That doesn't mean Japan doesn't have issues. Downplaying or ignoring them just highlights your own lack of knowledge and undercuts any other argument you might make.

Edit: Just to note, I haven't watched the entire vid yet. I'm not sure why Channel 4 (Not the BBC) felt the need to produce it after the BBC did their own on the same subject last year. I'll check it out later though and likely find a mixture of truth and hyberbolic sensationalism. As I said above, mixing truth and bullshit undercuts your truth and its something these documentaries also typically do.

Update after watching: As expected it's utterly superficial and makes no effort to understand the wider context of Japanese society and culture. Essentially it looks at a (real) creepy industry through British eyes and thinks "Oh, this would be unacceptable in the UK" (Yes, unlike islamic child grooming) but doesn't take the next step of thinking, "Why is this acceptable in Japan?" Well, it's not acceptable but is tolerated because Japan has pretty strict laws on human rights and people are free to do most things that don't harm others. Whether the girls are harmed is debatable but typically they can make money from it and some use it as a platform for more serious pop or modelling careers. Whether the mothers are exploiting them is also an issue but many just want their kids to have a potentially 'glamorous' career. The big danger is not, however, the creepy guys. For many of them it actually isn't sexual but more an emotional need based upon severely retarded social/relationship skills. A few of them are potentially dangerous stalkers though so there is an element of concern. More serious though are the video companies who will make DVDs of child idols and, once they get older, potentially push them into soft and then hardcore porn. Not technically illegal but for sure a form of grooming that Japan has so far failed to address.

Someone got downvoted for saying there is a real problem in Japan with sexualization of children. I can guarantee whoever downvoted has no practical knowledge of Japanese society as anyone who lives here is aware of the seedy underbelly. This isn't to say manga or anime are a problem, 99.9% of it is your typical stuff. Even so, having 0.1% of it being child porn is an issue.

Beyond this, the society as a whole has problems with the fetishisation of youth, something even the locals (apart from the psychologists and cultural anthropologists) are typically unaware of the roots of, and something that extends through the music, tv, and other entertainment industries, into the sex industry.

The UK loves focusing on the dark side of Japan. In fact, they seem to have a deeply skewed fixation on the country that only allows them to highlight the weird and kinky (like if all Japan knew about the UK was based on what went on in its gay and red light districts). Maybe its resentment for WWII Japan upsetting their hold on the Far East. That doesn't mean Japan doesn't have issues. Downplaying or ignoring them just highlights your own lack of knowledge and undercuts any other argument you might make.

Edit: Just to note, I haven't watched the entire vid yet. I'm not sure why Channel 4 (Not the BBC) felt the need to produce it after the BBC did their own on the same subject last year. I'll check it out later though and likely find a mixture of truth and hyberbolic sensationalism. As I said above, mixing truth and bullshit undercuts your truth and its something these documentaries also typically do.

Someone got downvoted for saying there is a real problem in Japan with sexualization of children. I can guarantee whoever downvoted has no practical knowledge of Japanese society as anyone who lives here is aware of the seedy underbelly. This isn't to say manga or anime are a problem, 99.9% of it is your typical stuff. Even so, having 0.1% of it being child porn is an issue.

Beyond this, the society as a whole has problems with the fetishisation of youth, something even the locals (apart from the psychologists and cultural anthropologists) are typically unaware of the roots of, and something that extends through the music, tv, and other entertainment industries, into the sex industry.

The UK loves focusing on the dark side of Japan. In fact, they seem to have a deeply skewed fixation on the country that only allows them to highlight the weird and kinky (like if all Japan knew about the UK was based on what went on in its gay and red light districts). Maybe its resentment for WWII Japan upsetting their hold on the Far East. That doesn't mean Japan doesn't have issues. Downplaying or ignoring them just highlights your own lack of knowledge and undercuts any other argument you might make.

Edit: Just to note, I haven't watched the entire vid yet. I'm not sure why Channel 4 (Not the BBC) they felt the need to produce it after the BBC did their own on the same subject last year. I'll check it out later though and likely find a mixture of truth and hyberbolic sensationalism. As I said above, mixing truth and bullshit undercuts your truth and its something these documentaries also typically do.

Someone got downvoted for saying there is a real problem in Japan with sexualization of children. I can guarantee whoever downvoted has no practical knowledge of Japanese society as anyone who lives here is aware of the seedy underbelly. This isn't to say manga or anime are a problem, 99.9% of it is your typical stuff. Even so, having 0.1% of it being child porn is an issue.

Beyond this, the society as a whole has problems with the fetishisation of youth, something even the locals (apart from the psychologists and cultural anthropologists) are typically unaware of the roots of, and something that extends through the music, tv, and other entertainment industries, into the sex industry.

The UK loves focusing on the dark side of Japan. In fact, they seem to have a deeply skewed fixation on the country that only allows them to highlight the weird and kinky (like if all Japan knew about the UK was based on what went on in its gay and red light districts). Maybe its resentment for WWII Japan upsetting their hold on the Far East. That doesn't mean Japan doesn't have issues. Downplaying or ignoring them just highlights your own lack of knowledge and undercuts any other argument you might make.