Pornography in Asia includes pornography created in Asia, watched in Asia, or consumed or displayed in other parts of the world as one or more of the genres of Asian pornography.
East Asia
China
Internet pornography was outlawed in the People's Republic of China effective 2002, when state censors issued guidelines requiring that all websites remove any pornographic material. The government started a crackdown in 2004, which included the jailing of a woman.
Since 2008, the production of pornographic films has been banned by state censors, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television's prohibition on pornography has been complete, and the government has shown no signs of changing course. Directors, producers, and actors involved in pornographic films have been barred from competing in any film competitions. Any film studio found in violation may have its license revoked. As a result of this regulation and censorship, adult films and media can only be obtained through the Internet and on the black market. Possession of pornography is punishable by up to 3 years in prison, a fine of , or up to life imprisonment for large underground distributors. In 2010 China shut down 60,000 pornographic websites according to the news agency Reuters, arresting almost 5,000 suspects in the process.
China's criminal code defines pornography as
It is illegal to sell, distribute pornography or arrange for pornographic performances in mainland China.
Hong Kong In Hong Kong, pornography is illegal if sold or shown to children under 18 years of age, if it is publicly displayed (except within the confines of and only visible from inside a "bona fide art gallery or museum"), or if it is sold without being wrapped completely with an "easily noticeable" warning stating that the material may be offensive and may not be distributed to minors.
Japan
Pornography in Japan includes pornography ranging from well-known sex acts such as bukkake to sexual fetish pornography such as tamakeri. Pornography is legal in Japan; however, there are restrictions. Genitalia must be pixelated or censored under Article 175 of the Penal Code of Japan (1907) and all participants must be 18 years of age or older, unless it is of a fictional characters.
As in Europe, photographs of nudes are not uncommon in the mainstream media. In the 1970s and 1980s, the strongest prohibition was against showing pubic hair or adult genitalia. Imported magazines would have the pubic hair scratched out, and even the most explicit videos could not portray it. Starting around 1991, photobook publishers began challenging this ban to the point where the portrayal of pubic hair is now fairly well accepted. Close-ups of genitalia remain proscribed. In 1999, the government enacted a law banning photos and videos of naked children. Manga and anime remain largely unregulated, although large publishers tend to self-censor or specify that characters are at least 18 years of age.
The 1960s, in Japanese pornography, was the era of the independent Pink film. In the years since the end of World War II, eroticism had been gradually making its way into Japanese cinema. The first kiss to be seen in Japanese film—discreetly half-hidden by an umbrella—caused a national sensation in 1946. Nevertheless, until the early 1960s, graphic depictions of nudity and sex in Japanese film could only be seen in single-reel "stag films", made illegally by underground film producers such as those depicted in Imamura's film The Pornographers (1966). Nudity and sex would officially enter the Japanese cinema with the independent, low-budget softcore pornographic films which would come to dominate domestically produced films in the 1960s and 1970s. These films were called eroductions during the early 1960s, but are now more commonly referred to as pink films. The first true pink film, and the first Japanese movie with nude scenes, was Satoru Kobayashi's controversial and popular independent production, Flesh Market (Nikutai no Ichiba, 1962), starring Tamaki Katori. Katori would go on to star in over 600 pink films throughout the 1960s, earning the nickname the "Pink Princess". In 1964 Tetsuji Takechi made the first big-budget, mainstream pink film, Daydream. Takechi would remake Daydream as Japan's first theatrical hardcore film in 1981, starring Kyoko Aizome.
North Korea
In 2007 the Seoul-based online newspaper Daily NK reported that pornographic literature was produced in North Korea for high-ranking officials during the late 1990s. Some pornographic films showing nude or scantily-clad women dancing to music were also made. In the 2000s these were superseded by imported pornographic films, for which a public rental market developed.
Imported works of pornography have been available in North Korea in recent decades, mainly in the capital Pyongyang and typically in the form of CD-R copies bought secretly at markets. There is very little domestic production. Producing, distributing, importing and watching pornography is illegal.
Importing pornography to North Korea is harshly punished. Pornography is sold openly on the China–North Korea border regardless of regulations. Despite attempts to curtail circulation of imported pornography, most of the pornography watched in North Korea is currently made abroad. A significant part of pornographic media in circulation consists of Chinese bootleg recordings of poor quality.
There is no access to foreign pornographic websites from within North Korea.
North Korea has ratified the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, there are currently no specific laws to combat child pornography.
South Korea
Hardcore pornographic books, films, magazines, photographs, or other materials depicting exposed genitals are illegal in South Korea. The regulations are similar to those in Japan, but South Korea's rules are more restrictive and do not allow the depiction of intercourse with the genitals pixellated. Distribution of pornography can result in a fine or one-year prison sentence, although the law is not regularly enforced. Softcore pornography without exposed genitals is legal and can be sold with an R-rating (19 and over).
There is no penalty for viewing or possessing pornography on the Internet in South Korea with the exception of child pornography, for which possession carries a sentence of more than one year in prison, while distributing, selling or displaying it for commercial purposes carries a sentence of more than five years.
Since 2009, pornographic websites have been blocked by the South Korean government. In 2012 the Ministry of Public Administration and Security released statistics that cited 39.5% of South Korean children having experienced watching online pornography, with 14.2% of those who have viewed online pornography reportedly "wanting to imitate" it. Many foreign pornographic websites are blocked, and those found to be operating from within the country are shut down. The Korea Internet Safety Commission is responsible for instructing Internet service providers to block access to "pornography and nudity". Google Search in South Korea filters search results for around 700 terms considered by the government to be adult in nature unless the user demonstrates that they are aged over 19.
Taiwan In Taiwan, pornographic films can be legally traded and pornography is available via a number of routes, including DVD, television and the Internet. The level of piracy of pornographic films in Taiwan is high because authorities have not traditionally recognised their copyrights. Copyright protection is usually strictly applied in Taiwan, but pornography has been seen as an exception.
Southeast Asia
Brunei Possession of pornographic material is illegal in Brunei.
Indonesia The Indonesian criminal code (Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Pidana, KUHP), in conjunction with the Roman-Dutch law-based Indonesian legal system, strictly prohibits pornographic material. The creation, distribution, sale and rental of explicit materials is banned in the country. On 30 October 2008, the People's Representative Council (DPR) passed the Bill against Pornography and Pornoaction, but it was deemed controversial. The broadness of the law has concerned practitioners of regional traditions such as the nightclubs in Bali, West Javan jaipong dance, and New Guinean penis gourd wearing. In 2010 the anti-pornography law was challenged but Indonesia's Constitutional Court upheld the ban and stated that the law's definition of pornography was clear and did not violate the constitution. A law passed in 2010 states any "pictures, sketches, photos, writing, voice, sound, moving picture, animation, cartoons, conversation, gestures, or other communications shown in public with salacious content or sexual exploitation that violate the moral values of society" will have offenders face up to a 15-year jail sentence. With the maximum penalty for downloading pornographic material is a 4-year jail sentence or a 2 billion rupiah ($219,200) fine.
A revised criminal code (RUU KUHP) has been drafted and is currently being discussed by the DPR. There is controversy over the RUU (Law Proposal) because child abuse is already recognized by the KUHP and the RUU is deemed to meddle too much in domestic affairs.
Laos Pornography is illegal in Laos. Decree No. 327 of October 2014 banned pornography and "inappropriate photos" from online publication, as well as "photos that contradict Lao traditions and culture".
Malaysia Pornography is illegal in Malaysia with fines of up to RM10,000 for owning or sharing pornographic materials. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has blocked more than 2,400 pornographic websites between 2018 and 2020. Possession of pornographic material is punished by Malaysian criminal law and results in fine and up to 5 years' imprisonment.
The Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984 subjects all offline media (such as newspapers, television, and radio stations) to licensing regimes granted at the discretion of ministers. However, the Communications and Multimedia Act of 1998 pledged the Malaysian government to refrain from Internet censorship in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the main regulatory authority of information technology and communications industries, prohibits online content that is "indecent" or "obscene".
In July 2018, the Malaysian police announced the creation of the Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children Investigation Unit (MICAC) that is equipped with real-time mass Internet surveillance software developed in the United States. It is tasked with the monitoring of all Malaysian Internet users even on mobile phones, with a focus on pornography, especially child pornography. The system creates a "data library" of users which includes details such as IP addresses, websites, locations, duration and frequency of use, and files uploaded and downloaded. Visiting these websites is subject to either questioning by police or imprisonment.
Myanmar Pornographic material is prohibited in Myanmar. Many users of the Internet in Myanmar cannot access content outside the country, and a significant number of pornographic websites are blocked using content-control software.
Philippines
Any kind of pornography is illegal in the Philippines. This is due to the influence of conservative Christian groups, such as the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and churches, mainly the Roman Catholic Church, among other institutions.