The Tokyo High Court [official website] on Thursday upheld a lower court obscenity decision against a female artist over distribution of 3-D printed models of vaginas. Megumi Igarashi [3DPrint materials] is an artist who was found guilty [Japan Times report] of distributing the models. The lower court had held that Igarushi violated article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code [materials] because the modes “realistically reproduce the shape (of female genitalia) and stimulate the viewers sexual desire”. The appeals court also upheld a $3,700 fine.

The decision has been seen as an attempt by Japan to control the values of the Japanese culture by prohibiting distribution of what it considers illicit materials detrimental to the society. Japan is not the only country that recently has attempted to reign in citizens to conform from what they believe are societal norms. Another country in Asia, Singapore, convicted [JURIST report] a teen of “wounding religious feelings” after he pleaded guilty to posting comments on the Internet criticizing Christianity and Islam in September. In 2015 India ordered more than 800 pornographic websites to be shut down in attempt to protect the decency of the country. However this attempt has run counter to the courts decision in the country that individuals should have the right to view the images.