Abstract

This article provides a detailed history of film classification, or age ratings, in Japan. It describes historical precedents for Eirin, the agency responsible for film classification in Japan, and key moments in Eirin’s organisational formation and reform. Drawing on multi-sited archival research and interviews with Eirin staff, the article recognises the importance of the US Production Code Authority as a model for Eirin’s formation during the United States’ occupation of Japan, but also argues against understanding age ratings in Japan as just another American import. By tracing earlier domestic precedents and by highlighting similar controversies overseas, the article considers the crucial role of both state and non-state actors, as well as international models and markets, in reforming film governance for youth spectators in Japan. Two exemplary scandals involving the Zigomar films in the early 1910s and the taiyōzoku (sun tribe) films in the mid-1950s demonstrate lasting concerns over youth that Eirin seeks to address. The article describes the redevelopment of the classification system in the late 1950s that underpinned an enduring form of now internationally-recognised regulation.

摘要

本文提供了日本电影分级或年龄分级的详细历史。它描述了日本负责电影分级的机构永琳的历史先例，以及永琳组织形成和改革的关键时刻。通过多点档案研究和对永琳工作人员的采访，文章承认美国生产法典管理局作为美国占领日本期间永琳形成的典范的重要性，但也反对将日本的年龄等级理解为公正另一个美国进口。通过追溯国内较早的先例并强调海外类似的争议，本文考虑了国家和非国家行为者以及国际模式和市场在改革日本青年观众的电影治理方面的关键作用。1910 年代初期的Zigomar电影和1950 年代中期的太阳族（太阳部落）电影展示了永凛试图解决的对青年的持久关注。这篇文章描述了 1950 年代后期分类系统的重新开发，该系统为现在国际公认的监管形式提供了基础。