Britain's Great Wall of Pussy - Too Weird for Japan

McCartney’s ‘Great Wall of Vagina’ deemed obscene by Tokyo police

The editorial departments of two weekly tabloids have received warnings from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police over the publication this past summer of “obscene” images of works by British artist Jamie McCartney (@Plastercaster), reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 21).

Shukan Post (Aug. 17-24) and Shukan Gendai (Sep. 15 and 22-29) published color and black-and-white pictures of McCartney’s “Great Wall of Vagina,” (slightly NSFW link - FR) which comprises a series of rows of white plaster figures shaped like female genitalia.

Shaped like them because, they are, in fact, plaster casts of the real thing?

The peace preservation division of the metropolitan police deemed the publication of the display a crime of “obscene public exhibition.”

Article 175 of Japan’s Penal Code prohibits the distribution, sale, or public display of obscene writings, pictures, or other materials. The code, however, does not define what specific type of content the law constitutes as being obscene.

“The images are exactly that of female genitalia,” said the police in a statement. “The degree of obscenity is high.”

Though, as Professor Althouse has noted, it ought to be more correctly titled "Decorously Framed Vulva".

McCartney found himself a good niche, for sure, but even slathering female genitalia with algae extracts and plaster (NSFW warning) must lose it's charm at some point.