The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Friday shelved a planned vote on a controversial bill aimed at clamping down on sexual imagery in comics and animation by introducing the concept of "nonexistent minors," a definition for characters appearing in such works that would most likely be regarded as children.
The assembly's committee on general affairs unanimously decided to carry over the bill for more deliberations at its next regular session to be convened in June.
Cartoonists and publishers strongly oppose the bill to revise the metro ordinance for the sake of sound upbringing of youth, saying it could infringe on freedom of expression.
The bill was submitted by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara to the current session of the metropolitan assembly, which started in February.
Assembly members said it is unusual for the body to skip a decision on a governor-proposed bill and carry it over to the next session.
The bill urges the "anime" animation and "manga" comic industry to impose voluntary restrictions on the sale to minors of works that depict sexual situations involving "nonexistent minors."
It also designates some of those publications that deal with materials such as rape as "harmful materials" and bans minors' access to them.
Members of the Liberal Democratic Party and Buddhist-backed New Komeito, who support Ishihara, have called for enactment of the bill during the current regular session.
The Democratic Party of Japan, the No. 1 force in the assembly, and other opponents have insisted the bill be carried over for more deliberations at the next session.
On Monday, a group of cartoonists visited the metro government and voiced their opposition to the bill.