Questionnaire to East Press (February 2012)
February 7, 2012
Shigeru Kobayashi, President of East Press Co., Ltd.
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with us the other day.
Based on our recent discussion, we would like to make the following request and ask you to respond in writing by February 29, 2012.
1. Regarding the publication of Bakshish Yamashita's "Hito wa Mina, Hadaka ni Naru." from the "Yorimichi Pa!nce" series, I would like you to explain its social significance in light of the East Press Charter. In particular, please explain in detail how publishing this work is compatible with the following clause in your company's charter.
Article 1: Honesty
Article 3: "Respect"
Article 4: "The joy of learning, the ability to think, and the richness of life"
Article 6: Social Assistance, Justice and Remediation
2. We recently requested that you not republish "Hito wa Mina Hadaka Ni Naru" by Bakshish Yamashita, but you said that you have an agreement with the editor to republish the entire series, so you have no choice but to republish it. The agreement with the editor is an internal matter of your company and has nothing to do with social significance or universal human rights issues.
What we are concerned about is your company's attempt to republish a book by Baksheesh Yamashita, who became famous for shooting and releasing overtly violent and cruel adult videos, including the "Johan" series, that provides pornographic information for minors. In these videos, women are punched, kicked, vomited on, gang-raped, and have their faces shoved under toilet water. We are concerned that Baksheesh Yamashita is a person who produced and commercialized videos that thoroughly objectify, torment, humiliate, and violate women's personalities and bodies.
Please explain in detail from the perspectives of women's human rights and equality, the protection and rights of young people, the social significance of publishing, and public order and morals. What do you think about the existence of such adult videos? What do you think about having the director who shot and sold many of these criminal videos write a book about sex for young people? And what do you think about your company choosing to republish that book?
We plan to widely introduce your response on our website, the websites of related organizations, in books we publish, and in materials for the international symposium we are planning to hold this fall. Our symposium is covered by NHK every year and is widely reported. If we are unable to receive a written response, we plan to make public the details of our recent discussions as our records.
We look forward to your sincere reply.
Representative organizer: Chiyoko Yokota (Head of the Izumi Dormitory, a women's shelter)
Nariya Morita (Part-time Lecturer at Komazawa University)
Setsuko Miyamoto (Freelance Social Worker)
Naomi Yuzawa (Rikkyo University professor)