Reuters UK
Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:22am GMT
UNICEF says Japan failing to control child porn

Japan's government is inching towards a ban on the possession of obscene images of children, which would bring it into line with most other industrialised countries. But the Japan branch of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) urged Tokyo to beef up its laws by banning child pornography in manga comics, animated films and computer games as well as individual possession.

Japan and Russia are alone among G8 countries in not banning possession of child pornography. Some members of Japan's main opposition Democratic Party oppose a ban because it might grant police too much power, domestic newspaper reports have said.

It doesn't happen often, but I have to commend the U.N. this time.