The Diet voted Wednesday to outlaw possession of child pornography after years of international calls for a crackdown, but the change won't impact sexually explicit manga and anime depicting young children.

Japan is the last OECD nation to criminalize possession of child pornography, although it outlawed production and distribution in 1999, and has long been considered a safe haven for those buying child pornography.

"For too long, there was a poor understanding of children's rights. Ultimately, that's why it's taken so long," said Kiyohiko Toyama, a member of New Komeito and a proponent of the bill. "By outlawing the possession of child pornography with the intent to satisfy sexual interest, we make it harder for people to trade in such material."