"Usaki-chan" wants to discuss the dispute November 22 14:33

A controversy over SNS occurred in October on the posters of the Japanese Red Cross Society that featured the cartoon character “Uzaki-chan” of a woman with big breasts. I was worried about the disconnection between people with different opinions. The expert described it as “wrestlers with a willingness to discuss and no ring. So to speak, everyone is fighting out of the field.” Then about a month. I interviewed the parties again and thought about how to face each other. (Reporter of Network Press, Momoko Ariyoshi, Rie Oishi)

What is Uzaki-chan controversy?

Let's start with a quick review. It was this tweet that an American who visited Japan tweeted.

“I ’m disappointed that I ’m praising the work of the Red Cross because I ’m campaigning with overly sexual Uzaki ’s posters. There are times and places.

In addition, criticism was received that “it is like an environmental sexual harassment”.

On the other hand, there were objections such as “not overly sexual” and “not sexual harassment”.

further…

The controversy took on a flaming appearance.

“Everyone is out of the field”

Expressing the situation as “everybody is fighting outside the field” is Toko Tanaka Otsuma Women's University professor who specializes in media culture.

“Everyone is arguing, but the words they use are not necessarily the same meaning, because they use the words plus alpha meaning depending on their lives and values. In the current situation, there are always wrestlers who are willing to discuss and there are no rings, so to speak, everyone is fighting out of the field. I think there are. "

“Not sexual harassment” Male office worker in his 30s

We interviewed both sides again on how to proceed with constructive discussions. First of all, a male office worker in her 30s who quoted a poster for women's underwear that she found on the premises of a station and made the following post on Twitter.

“While the public station is in this state, even overseas, how about passing through it and saying TPO! TPO! And that ’s # blood donation boycott? … "

Q Do you think it is a problem to point out that “the poster is sexual harassment”?
“I think that pointing out 'it's sexual harassment' itself is personal freedom. But there are people who say 'it's not sexual harassment'. I think it's big, but I think manga expression is like that, I'm wearing clothes and I don't think it's sexual harassment. ''

Q What about the big discussion on SNS?
“The poster seems to have been placed in an inconspicuous place in the blood donation room, and there were over 40 million people living in the six prefectures of Kanto where the campaign was deployed. In that respect, I think that the scope of the posting was well understood.This discussion is not only this time.Every time there is such an impression, it is an impression that has always been a discussion. People just say "not good" and "bad" and the side that issues them "quits" "stops" and repeats it. I think this is an infringement of freedom of expression. "

“It ’s sexual harassment.” American man

Next is Jay Allen, an American male who made the posting. Jay, who likes Japanese anime and has a wife Japanese, is an acquaintance that visits Japan several times a year.

I felt uncomfortable with the poster I found in front of the blood donation room in Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, and I talked with several people, including my wife, who posted the first comment on October 14th.

Q How do you accept the opinion that this is not sexual harassment?
“Anyone who feels that his favorite character has been attacked and thinks he has to strike back is saying“ not sexual harassment ”. This poster is“ Ero ”, but he attacked the character Instead of saying that, it was not suitable for public places. "

Q What about the big discussion on SNS?
“I was surprised. I was especially angry with the fans of men. Is the“ right ”to post such a poster in a public place so important? Although we have faced the problem of being treated as “things” for more than a few decades, there are still a few men who do not listen to it even if they explain it carefully and many times. I think this is an opportunity to improve society. ''

I checked the scene

A reporter (Ariyoshi) who thought he needed to see for himself how posters were posted, went to a blood donation room in Tokyo one day in October.

The blood donation room is on the first floor of the building. When you get off the elevator, you will see several posters on the wall in front of you. The poster of “Uzaki-chan” was stuck in the middle. Another one was put on the wall of the waiting room, but there were no other posters on this wall.

I thought whether this was noticeable or unnoticeable depends on how it was captured. However, it was a place that anyone could see.

After I donated the blood, I asked the woman in charge, “I want Uzaki-chan's file,” and brought it while saying, “This is cute.

Since I visited early in the morning, people were sparse and felt like a different world from the heated discussion on the Internet.

Discussion that spread from such a scene. Prof. Tanaka mentioned above points out:

(Professor Tanaka) “Every time, one tweet is witnessed from the world by technology. That is one of the factors in the flame”

I want to secure a young blood donor

I asked the largest party, the Japanese Red Cross Society. First of all, I would like to think about this issue.

“I recognize that my imagination was a little lacking in the way people see it. The Red Cross is a highly public organization, so I want to make sure everyone can feel comfortable.”

The next reason I checked was the reason for collaborating with the character. The answer was a reduction in the number of blood donors. In particular, the number of blood donors in their teens and 30s has decreased by 35% over the past 10 years.

On the other hand, at the Comic Market venue where many young people gather every year at Tokyo Big Sight, the number of blood donors accounts for nearly 50% of the total number of blood donors in Tokyo, and the number of blood donors in their teens has been increasing over the last two years. There seems to be.

“Because we have received support and support for many manga and anime works, this campaign has been implemented for fans who can cooperate in donating blood. The campaign is aimed at distributing novelties and is not intended to promote the public through posters. "

On the other hand, in response to the question of what criteria and processes were used to create the posters, the answer was “We will refrain from answering the decision procedure in the company”.

By the way, the number of blood donors in October in 6 prefectures in Tokyo where the collaboration campaign was held increased by about 6% compared to the same month last year. JRCS says, “We will refrain from responding because we are implementing various measures and we cannot clearly say that the effect of a specific campaign.”

Surveys at your own expense

In November, some people surveyed blood donation posters and published the results.

Sumomo asks a research company on the Internet for men and women in their 20s to 50s, 200 each, 1600 people in total, “Do you feel discomfort?”, “Problem as a PR poster for blood donation” I asked whether there are four combinations. The cost was 16,000 yen.

(Sumomo-san) “I thought it was a situation where constructive discussions were not going to happen even though the problem was going on for a long time. Just how much I wanted to help advance the discussion to the next step. I was curious to know if people were uncomfortable. ''

There is a certain trend in the survey results. Many people think that they feel uncomfortable and have a problem as a blood donation poster.

In terms of age and gender, women are more likely than men, and the percentage of people who feel “discomfort” or “problem” increases with age.

In the public relations guide prepared by the Cabinet Office, caution is urged as `` expressing emphasizing the sexual or cosmetic aspects of women leads to harming women's dignity and commercializing sexuality. '' The Based on this data and guidance, it seems unlikely that it will be so difficult for a public organization to consider whether it is suitable for PR even if it is limited.

On the other hand, Mr. Sumomo who conducted the survey seems a little different.

(Sumomo-san) “What is clear is that there is a difference in thinking between gender and generation. If you say“ out ”due to the difference in feelings and values ​​of discomfort, the said side is absurd. The key to approaching is to recognize that there are gender and generational differences.By the way, I understand that women and middle-aged and older people are approaching how to accept young men who are also blood donation targets. I hope to go forward. "

Because character culture is thriving

There were similar cases a few years ago. Although it was pointed out that it was "too sexy", the official approval of the local government was withdrawn.

Megumi Shima is inspired by the experience of a man who had participated in an overseas race as a motorcycle racer and gained a great response from a so-called “pain motorcycle” designed by a Japanese cartoon character. Previously it became an official character of Shima City, Mie Prefecture.

Soon after, however, voices from the seamen, such as “I am distant from the actual situation and feel uncomfortable with expressions that show off my body,” were withdrawn from the city.

However, as a result of continuing his activities as a private character, fans have become established. A character wrapping bus is operating in Tachikawa City, Tokyo, and is also active as a loose character around Ise Shrine.

Flames associated with PR using characters from public institutions that have been repeated. I feel that we must go one step further and find out how to face and share it in the real world, rather than limiting it to a phenomenon in the Internet world. I think this is because Japan has a thriving character culture.

How do you find it?

Prof. Tanaka says that it is more important not to set regulations and standards, but to build up a common view through repeated discussion.

(Professor Tanaka) “The discussion about sexual expression was brought to the surface by SNS. It was the stage when the voices of“ unpleasant ”and“ unsuitable ”began to appear around one poster. Talk about it in school education or at home, and deepen the discussion so that new expressions will be born in 5 or 10 years. "