Is it legal to bring Hentai/Yaoi from Japan to Europe (EEA)?

score:7

Accepted answer

A lot depends on the actual content. IF the content is illegal where you're taking it (and that includes any layovers/stopovers) you stand to get into some serious legal trouble.
For example, last year someone was arrested and convicted in Norway for possession of child p**nography.
His crime? He had 3 manga/hentai cartoons in his house, which included sexual content. Under Japanese law these are perfectly legal, in Norway (and elsewhere in the EU) they're considered child p**n as the definitions are different.

And if you have a stopover in say Dubai you have to be doubly careful as anything they consider p**nographic can get you arrested and in prison even if you're just there to switch planes, would never leave the airport.

Just p**n isn't a problem in Europe of course, it's quite legal in most countries as long as you're an adult. CHILD p**n however, and in the EU that includes depictions of nude or sometimes scantilly children in cartoons, especially if the context is sexually charged, will get you in serious trouble with the law. That Norwegian guy was lucky to get away with 18 months in jail (and no doubt a mark on the Norwegian version of the sex offenders registry for life), probably because of the low volume. But his life is destroyed, he will forever be branded a child molester and sexual deviant in his country.
Don't let that happen to you, be extremely careful and prudent in what if anything you purchase (and that doesn't just include potentially p**nographic comics, there are many things that are legal in other countries but not in your own, think parts of endangered species of animals or plants, sometimes historical artifacts, religious relics, etc. etc.).

Upvote:6

Yaoi Manga is a genre of illustrated books that contain h*m*-erotic content, or in some other way appeal to the prurient interest of its fans. It's soft-p**n and does not feature children. Other Manga genres devoted to children are outside the scope of this answer.

These books are available over-the-counter in Europe. As evidence, here's an Amazon (France) snapshot...

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Source: http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10/279-1464532-0274238?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=yaoi%20manga&sprefix=yaoi+manga%2Caps%2C166

Comparable snapshots exist for 'fr', 'de', 'es', and 'it' versions. Also the .co.uk version.

Note: Next day delivery may not be available. Items purchased in Japan may or may not be duty-free. Also note: Images depicting children under 18 in sexually charged scenarios, even cartoons, are unlawful throughout the EEA.

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