5/26/2005
Kanagawa To Ban U-18s From Playing Violent Video Games
YOKOHAMA -- Kanagawa Prefecture is poised to designate violent video games as harmful publications and ban their sale to those under 18, Kanagawa Gov Shigefumi Matsuzawa said.
Kanagawa expects to implement the ban by early June and will require video games that are designated as violent to be sold separately from regular games.
Anybody found selling designated violent video games to children under 18 will be liable to a fine of up to 300,000 yen.
Matsuzawa is urging other governors of prefectures around the capital to follow in Kanagawa's footsteps.
"Unlike movies or videos, children playing video games get the sense of actually being on the scene when they see them. We need to regulate these games," Matsuzawa said.
Kanagawa inspected six popular video games believed to contain extreme violence. One in particular was deemed to be excessively cruel.
On May 30, the game will be presented to the prefecture's child welfare council to determine if it should receive a rating. If it does, it will be required to be sold separately.
Kanagawa plans to bring about the changes by revising its ordinance on harmful publications, which are deemed to be books, magazines, periodicals or video games that glorify violence, murder and cruelty.
It has been deemed difficult to pursue ratings for video games because scenes displayed depend on the way the game is played. (Mainichi Shimbun, May 26, 2005)
Kanagawa expects to implement the ban by early June and will require video games that are designated as violent to be sold separately from regular games.
Anybody found selling designated violent video games to children under 18 will be liable to a fine of up to 300,000 yen.
Matsuzawa is urging other governors of prefectures around the capital to follow in Kanagawa's footsteps.
"Unlike movies or videos, children playing video games get the sense of actually being on the scene when they see them. We need to regulate these games," Matsuzawa said.
Kanagawa inspected six popular video games believed to contain extreme violence. One in particular was deemed to be excessively cruel.
On May 30, the game will be presented to the prefecture's child welfare council to determine if it should receive a rating. If it does, it will be required to be sold separately.
Kanagawa plans to bring about the changes by revising its ordinance on harmful publications, which are deemed to be books, magazines, periodicals or video games that glorify violence, murder and cruelty.
It has been deemed difficult to pursue ratings for video games because scenes displayed depend on the way the game is played. (Mainichi Shimbun, May 26, 2005)
