New Eirin ratings system

[Ono Seiko and Aaron Gerow]

It was reported in the papers that Eirin, the industry's self-censoring 
agency, has decided to create a new ratings system in reaction to 
complaints that the current system makes it too easy for children to view 
violent and disturbing films such as horror movies.  The existing 
classifications system with three categories--"adult" (under 18 
prohibited), "R" (under 15 prohibited), and "general audience"--will be 
expanded to four by adding "PG-12" (under 12 prohibited unless 
accompanied by an adult).  In the process, the old categories will be 
renamed: "adult" will now be "R-18" and "R" "R-15."

Eirin has been studying the changes for over a year, but complaints that 
Eirin and other censoring organizations in Japan have been soft on 
violence (but not on sex) have been voiced long before that. Many have 
also wondered by Japan has only had three categories while the US or the 
UK have 6 or 7.  (Eirin's excuse has always been that the "customs" of 
the Japanese film world are different, a reason I have never quite 
understood.)

Now clearly the recent hubbub over youth violence (the Kobe murders (in 
which the boy was a horror film fan), the recent knife incidents, etc.) 
has created an atmosphere in which Eirin, always trying to protect the 
industry from more severe censorship efforts, had to act.   The new 
system will probably go into effect in May.

Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University
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