On Wednesday, a feminist artist in Japan named Megumi Igarashi was charged for making objects shaped like her vagina with the intent to distribute. Wait, what? The artist was arrested after she raised money online to pay for a kayak that apparently resembles the shape and appearance of her hoo-haw that she then made on a 3-D printer. From Japan Times:
Igarashi, 42, was first arrested in July but was freed after several days following a legal appeal and after thousands of people signed a petition demanding her release.
But Tokyo police arrested her again this month — along with sex shop owner Minori Watanabe, 44, who is also a writer and feminist activist, for “displaying (Igarashi’s) obscene goods in her shop window…”
The present charges relate to three counts of distributing “obscene” data — namely CD-ROMs containing computer code for a 3-D printer that would allow users to make copies of the vagina-shaped kayak.
The other obscene goods in question includes vagina smartphone cases, vagina dioramas and mini vagina kayaks. If Igarashi is indeed convicted, she could face up to 2 years in jail with a fine of ¥2.5 million (that’s $20,754 US Dollars). The obscenity laws in Japan prohibit any images of actual genitalia. Oh, if only her kayak had more pixels!
(Via: Japan Times / 3D Printing)