​‘End vagina taboo’: Japanese artist arrested for 2nd time over obscene products

The Japanese artist modeling objects based on images of her vagina has been arrested for a second time on obscenity charges.

The Japanese artist modeling objects based on images of her vagina has been arrested for a second time on obscenity charges.

Police say that Megumi Igarashi, 42, who works under the nickname Rokude Nashiko, or “reprobate child” in Japanese slang, “tried to have those people who were willing to finance her plan download the 3D obscene data” by sending a link, and also sold the same data on CD-Roms, AFP reported.

The “plan” mentioned by security forces was crowdfunding a kayak modeled on her genitals.

If convicted of distributing or holding obscene materials to sell them, the artist could face up to two years behind bars and possibly also a fine of about 2.5 million yen ($21,000).

Igarashi was first detained in July, but was freed days later after an online petition demanding her freedom got thousands of signatures.

“I don’t believe my vagina is anything obscene,” Igarashi told reporters at a press conference in July after her release.

“I was determined I would never yield to police power,” she added.

Along with the artist, a sex toy store manager, Minori Watanabe, 44, was detained for “displaying obscene goods in her shop window in collusion with Igarashi” from last October until July 2014, according to law enforcement authorities.

Igarashi has modeled a “pussy boat,” a “pussy remote-controlled car,” dioramas, lampshades, iPhone covers and other objects on her genitals.

She explained her actions by saying that she started producing the vagina art “because I had not seen other’s pussies and I worried too much about mine. Manko, pussy, has been such a taboo in the Japanese society.”

At the same time, Igarashi said, “the penis has been used in illustrations and signed as a part of pop culture… [but] pussy has been thought to be obscene because it’ been overly hidden, although it’s just a part of a woman’s body. I wanted to make pussy more casual and pop.”

Japanese erotica and pornography is well known all over the globe, but the country’s laws still outlaw the publication of images of genitals. These are usually pixelated, blurred or censored in some way.