Vagina artist Rokudenashiko (Megumi Igarashi) charged by police

Artist Rokudenashiko (or Rokudenashi-ko), popularly known as the “vagina artist”, has been charged following her arrest earlier this month.

While writer Minori Watanabe was recently released for displaying the model of female genitalia in her adult shop in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, Rokudenashiko (Megumi Igarashi), who was arrested at the same time, has now been indicted by the police after 21 (!) days being held without charge.

This means her case will go to trial, which is always a long process here. Whether she is found guilty or innocent (Japan has a 99% conviction rate!), at the very least it guarantees the affair will be extremely expensive for her in legal fees.

Her crime is “distributing indecent material” — because artwork based on her genitalia is seen as immoral by the police. And we are sure the police and prosecution have NEVER seen any of Japan’s mountain of porn!

If found guilty, Igarashi might be jailed up to two years and/or fined ¥2.5 million yen ($20,750).

In court she read out a statement: “My works are all meant to induce friendly laughter because they involve cutely decorating sexual organs. The works are not obscene.”

Japan is a country whose ancient gods performed strip shows. Eroticism and nudity is in its myths and culture. Sexually explicit native art goes back centuries. There are also lots of phallic and vaginal sculptures in Shinto shrines — and even whole festivals devoted to penis worship! If that’s not “cool Japan”, then we don’t know what is.

Why do the police insist on punishing women (and some men) who try to celebrate the body and sexuality?

Of course, they would never touch the mainstream adult video companies because they are all connected to the Yakuza and stay within the ambiguous letter of the law (i.e. using pixellation). The occasional busts on certain under-the-counter porn retailers surely only happen because they were small-time folk who did not have the right gang connections or strayed over a certain line.

This hypocrisy is shameful and we demand Megumi Igarashi’s immediate release!