Artist held in Tokyo for obscenity released
Print Edition
A TOKYO artist known for her genital-inspired works has been released from police custody following her arrest on obscenity charges, her lawyer said yesterday.
Megumi Igarashi, 42, who calls herself Rokude Nashiko which roughly translates as “bastard kid,” was taken into custody last Saturday for distributing data that allowed recipients to make 3D prints of her vagina.
“She was released today,” said lawyer Kazuyuki Minami.
It was not immediately clear if the artist would face criminal charges.
Igarashi had been trying to raise funds online to pay for the construction of a kayak, using a 3D printer, modeled on the shape of her genitals.
Igarashi’s supporters said they were shocked by what they described as the police’s unusually broad use of Japan’s obscenity laws.
Japan has a notoriously vibrant pornography industry that caters to a vast array of tastes. But obscenity laws still forbid the depiction of actual genitalia, which usually appear censored or pixillated in images and videos.
The artist was arrested for “distributing data that could create an obscene shape through a 3D printer,” a police spokesman said.
Before her arrest, Igarashi had collected about 1 million yen (US$9,800) through an Internet crowd funding site. In exchange for donations, she supplied data to supporters that would let them create 3D prints of her genitals. The artist’s arrest sparked protest among her fans and supporters.
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