The topic of what can be considered too revealing or not is an indefatigable subject all around the world. Each country has its own set of laws regarding the exposure of both men and women\u2019s bodies. These laws are debated and based on the influence of local culture and religion, historical background, current events, and other various aspects. The definition of what is \u2018obscene\u2019 can be vastly different from place to place, so foreigners living in Japan should be aware of any differences in the local law from that of their home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Japan, exposure of one\u2019s body and obscene acts mainly fall under the criminal punishment categories of \u201cpublic indecency\u201d and \u201cmisdemeanor.\u201d The definition of \u2018obscene\u2019 in these laws is quite vague, so it is impossible to say with certainly what is \u201cokay\u201d and \u201cnot okay.\u201d That being said, it is dangerous to simply think that \u201cit\u2019s fashion, so it\u2019s okay,\u201d \u201cit\u2019s not a problem because it\u2019s a bathing suit,\u201d \u201cit\u2019s fine because it\u2019s art,\u201d \u201cnobody will complain because it\u2019s cultural.\u201d Public displays of affection such as kissing in public may also be considered to be problematic. Charges of public indecency or a misdemeanor may be handed down to people found in violation of these laws. This can also be applied even inside one\u2019s home. For example, if someone leaves the curtains of their home open and are seen by an unspecified number of people outside the premises, they can also be charged with a crime. Please be careful not to let this happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more details, please check the Japanese Government\u2019s official information site, known as e-Gov. The site is available in Japanese (please note that a high level of language comprehension and special vocabulary is needed to navigate the Japanese portion of the website). Recently, an English version has been made available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n