Nonexistent Youth Bill Defeated in Committee

Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly’s General Affairs Committee just finished debate over the revision to the Tokyo Youth Healthy Development Ordinance. The so-called “nonexistent youth” revision bill has been defeated in committee.

This is astonishing feat–In early March, most everybody thought this bill would simply sail through the Assembly. Tokyo Metro. Government has a lot ot clout regarding bills, and very few get outright rejected. The last time a bill submitted by the Governor and the Tokyo Metro. Government got shot down by the Tokyo Metro. Assembly was in 1998.

Even to the very bitter end, the Tokyo Metro. Government’s Youth Affairs and Public Safety Office was unwilling to amend the bill despite widespread protests from the industry and authors. Prof. Maeda, an advocate of the bill and chairman of the notorious specialist section of the 28th Tokyo Youth Affairs Conference, was confident even in mid May that the bill could salvaged.

The ruling minority party, LDP submitted a slightly revised version of the bill that replaced the term “nonexistent youth” with “depicted youth” and made other small changes, but that was not enough to convince the majority block of DPJ, Seikatsusha Network and Japan Communist Party members in the General Affairs Committee.

Both the original Tokyo Metro. Government’s draft and the LDP’s slightly revised draft has been voted down.

The final official vote in the main Metro. Assembly will take place on the 16th.

Governor Ishihara has stated that he wishes to attempt once again in the fall to revise Tokyo’s youth protection ordinance regarding publications and limiting their access to youth.

Just to remind you, Tokyo can ALREADY designate the following as harmful: “Any material that may be detrimental toward the healthy development of youth because of their capacity to be sexually stimulating, encourages cruelty, and/or may compel suicide or criminal behavior.”

Source: Journalist Takashi Hiruma (1) (2) and Tokyo Metro Assembly member Reiko Matsushita tweeting about the proceedings of the committee.

Update: Here are some other confirmations of this historic defeat.

Kyodo, Sankei, Mainichi, Nikkei, ANN (Asahi TV), Asahi (newspaper) and Yomiuri.