{"id":14892,"date":"2026-04-13T21:05:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T21:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=14892"},"modified":"2026-04-13T21:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T21:05:32","slug":"it-was-banned-in-several-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=14892","title":{"rendered":"It was banned in several countries"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The film posted for “In the Realm of the Senses”. Credit \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

An uncut Japanese film telling the real-life story of a woman who carried her dead lover\u2019s genitals for days after killing him by asphyxiation during sex remained banned in several countries for years due to its \u201cobscene\u201d content.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Released in 1976,\u00a0In the Realm of the Senses<\/em>\u00a0sparked debate almost immediately, with many viewers unable to watch the original cut for decades due to strict censorship rules and widespread bans tied to its explicit portrayal of sexuality.<\/p>\n

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A film based on a disturbing real-life story<\/h2>\n

Directed by the late Nagisa Oshima, the film tells the story of Sada Abe, a geisha and former brothel worker who becomes involved in an intense relationship with her married employer, Kichiz\u014d Ishida.<\/p>\n

In real life, Abe started working as a waitress at Ishida\u2019s Tokyo restaurant in 1936, only months before she killed him by strangling him during\u00a0sex<\/a>. She then chopped off his penis and testicles, wrapped them up in a magazine cover, and carried them with her for three days before she was arrested.<\/p>\n

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The film was brought to life by actors Eiko Matsuda (Abe, 31) and Tatsuya Fuji (Ishida), who convincingly portrayed the obsessive lovers \u2013 a story that had already drawn widespread attention in Japan after the woman brutally\u00a0murdered<\/a>\u00a0the 42-year-old restaurateur in May 1936.<\/p>\n

And, Oshima\u2019s decision to depict the disturbing relationship with minimal restraint placed the movie at the center of controversy worldwide.<\/p>\n

Film faced bans in multiple countries<\/h2>\n

One of the main reasons the\u00a0movie<\/a>\u00a0attracted such strong reactions was its depiction of explicit sexual activity and nudity \u2013 including genital mutilation and erotic asphyxiation \u2013 which many countries considered unacceptable for theatrical release during the 1970s.<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s graphic content also placed it in direct conflict with Japan\u2019s strict obscenity laws, which have long regulated how sexuality can be portrayed in visual media.<\/p>\n

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According to\u00a0Article 175<\/a>\u00a0of the country\u2019s Criminal Code, Japan prohibits the distribution of content classified as \u201cobscene,\u201d although the law does not clearly define the term.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing that is expressed is obscene. What is obscene is what is hidden,\u201d Oshima argued in court about\u00a0In the Realm of the Senses<\/em>\u00a0after the government charged him with obscenity, per the\u00a0New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n