Japan: Man arrested for taking "normal" picture of woman in train ....

[maddoc]

http://www.japantoday.com/category/...d-for-taking-normal-picture-of-woman-on-train

The law behind this (Anti-Nuisance Ordinance) states that (cited from the article) "The law is quite broad in its language, but seeks to protect one thing: the safety and well-being of women. The law states that it doesn’t matter what you are taking a picture of, if the woman being photographed is made to feel uncomfortable or starts feeling anxious, you are liable to be arrested. Even so much as pointing a camera in the victim’s direction without taking a picture is grounds for arrest."

Something to keep in mind when out in the streets with a camera here in Japan ...

(I wasn`t sure about the right forum to post this)

 

[bence8810]

Haha good catch Gabor, was just reading the same this morning.

I think it has to do a lot with how you are taking that picture etc. Perhaps the dude was trying to sneak the picture, he was much older than the girl so it all adds up.

I never had trouble going up to people, smile and snap. Granted, not with a mobile phone and on the secret...

Cheers,
Ben

 

[maddoc]

I try to do the same but it made me thinking that already pointing the camera at a woman can get you in trouble actually. I find this a little bit scary ...

 

[Pablito]

a bit hypocritical given how incredibly degrading some Japanese TV shows are to women, though I guess in those cases they sign releases and permissions.... so it's with their consent.

 

[thegman]

a bit hypocritical given how incredibly degrading some Japanese TV shows are to women, though I guess in those cases they sign releases and permissions.... so it's with their consent.

Also it's only hypocritical if it's the same person, a TV show and a Government law isn't the same thing.

 

[maddoc]

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed in streets of Shinjuku by a TV team from TV Asahi for one of their shows and after finishing the interview I had to sign an A4 size long agreement about that interview (written in Japanese of course, which I barely understood).

 

[Pablito]

Also it's only hypocritical if it's the same person, a TV show and a Government law isn't the same thing.

Yeah, narrowly and literally defined. Yet the government law and the TV show each in their own way reflect societal norms. The society at large tolerates - and finds entertaining, amusing or humorous the systematic humiliation and degradation of women, especially young women. And many, many young women consent to this treatment, for whatever reason. You have politicians who try and gloss over the use of "comfort women" in WWII, yet a law like this is on the books. Bizarre.

 

[kiss-o-matic]

Draconian Japan: Man arrested for candid photo

Draconian Japan: Man arrested for candid photo

Japan does a lot of things better than anyone else... making vaguely worded and selectively enforced laws is at the top of that list. Latest debacle: a 40-year old man is arrested for taking a photo of a (fully clothed) woman for breaking an "Anti-nuisance ordinance".

I know we have quite a few people hailing from Japan here. I have recently repatriated from the US where I know I at least have a fighting chance if the cops think I'm up to no good. In Japan you're totally screwed.

Source: http://www.japantoday.com/smartphon...d-for-taking-normal-picture-of-woman-on-train

 

[maddoc]

I had started a thread already here.

 

[kiss-o-matic]

Dang -- sorry.
Not been here a while... my (seemingly timely) exodus from Japan being part of the culprit.

 

[kiss-o-matic]

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed in streets of Shinjuku by a TV team from TV Asahi for one of their shows and after finishing the interview I had to sign an A4 size long agreement about that interview (written in Japanese of course, which I barely understood).

I was interviewed months ago by a TV crew. It started in English but when they realized I had lived in Tokyo longer than them it went to Japanese. It was quite long -- I talked about 5 minutes. Never thought anything of it until one of the ladies in my local udon joint was like, "I saw you on TV this weekend!" Haha.

Anywho... this is yet another vague law in Japan which enters you in a lottery. If you are unlucky enough to be selected, your life is going to be derailed for a while.

 

[maddoc]

On a different note, I wonder if this law (Anti-Nuisance Ordinance) would be strictly applied to foreigners who are just happily snapping away....

 

[Spicy]

dunno if it's anything like korea, but my first guess is that it would be primarily applied to japanese men, with foreigners given a "well, they're just dumb foreigners -- of course they don't know any better" get-out-of-jail-free card...

at least that's usually how minor legal fender-benders here usually work out, unless it results in insulting korean culture/history somehow, in which case Koreans rally to the cause of ousting the blight of vicious foreigners hell-bent on befouling Korea/Korean naive purity

 

[btgc]

So it's forbidden to photograph victims? How do one knows if he points camera at victim or just woman?

To me this seems the beginning of era of superwides in Japan. Did you take picture of me? No, of that building! Show me the pictures! I can't, that is a film camera.

 

[Baby of Macon]

Last time I was in Japan I found it to be incredibly photographer friendly. I suspect it is all about context and how one approaches people.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Presumably he raised suspicion by pointing the camera at her face rather than up her skirt?

 

[jsrockit]

Last time I was in Japan I found it to be incredibly photographer friendly. I suspect it is all about context and how one approaches people.

Exactly... we all know Japan has issues with men / women on trains... they have women only train cars. I think the issue was that it was on a train. Also, in the subway stations, there are signs all over saying no upskirting... maybe it is better not to chance it on a train.

 

[NY_Dan]

A law where men can be arrested based upon a woman's emotions? The jokes write themselves. I can't believe such a law could be written in Japan. Glad I shoot with a German camera, anti-photography laws will never show up there!

 

[kaiwasoyokaze]

dunno if it's anything like korea, but my first guess is that it would be primarily applied to japanese men, with foreigners given a "well, they're just dumb foreigners -- of course they don't know any better" get-out-of-jail-free card...

at least that's usually how minor legal fender-benders here usually work out, unless it results in insulting korean culture/history somehow, in which case Koreans rally to the cause of ousting the blight of vicious foreigners hell-bent on befouling Korea/Korean naive purity

especially if you're in the US army and helping them against their north korean 'brothers.'

 

[kiss-o-matic]

I can't believe such a law could be written in Japan.

Well hopefully they don't dig into this guy's past and find out he's been going to dance halls that are open between the hours of 12AM and 5AM. Seriously...