Japan: – Will take action against inappropriate selfies in amusement parks

In February, photos emerged on social media of male visitors anointing popular cartoon characters.

The pictures, posted on Twitter, show a young man taking a picture with his mobile phone under the dress of one of the cartoon characters, and another touching the breast of one of the other characters.

In one of the images, a young man is shown holding his hand in front of the cartoon character’s mouth.

All young men wear corona masks.

The photos were taken in Japan’s new pride – Ghibli Park.

Can take a selfie with cartoon heroes

Ghibli Park in Nagakote, Aichi Prefecture, opens in November 2022.

Instead of water slides and carousels as in a regular amusement park, the attractions at Ghibli Park are based on animated films from the award-winning company.

Studio Ghibli won Academy Awards for the animated films “Spirited away” (“Chichiro and the witches”) and “My Neighbor Totoro”.

The attractions are taken from the movie world where the characters in the cartoons are physical characters.

Visitors take selfies with Ghibli characters.

See a photo gallery of Ghibli Park attractions below:

– Harmful

At a press conference on Thursday this week, Achichi Governor Hideki Omura made it clear that he does not consider the images now posted on social media as innocent fun.

The Japanese newspaper reported that Omura said he would ask the company operating in the park to immediately stop the inappropriate behavior by visitors Mainichi Shimbun.

Also Singapore newspaper straight times And CNN write about it.

– It’s unfortunate and malicious. Ghibli Park is a place for adults and children to have fun while watching Ghibli movies. I don’t want people who do things that many people would consider offensive to come to the park.

The governor said he thought the behavior was malicious.

Like horror sushi

– Like the annoying behavior of conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, which tend to destroy property, said the governor.

The so-called “sushi horror” he’s referring to is a constant “joke” plaguing popular kaiten restaurants, where dishes circulate around the restaurant on a conveyor belt and customers help themselves straight from the belt.

Videos have been circulating on social media showing people licking bottles of soy sauce and chopsticks that are supposed to be used by others and spitting on pieces of sushi that pass by, according to reports among others. BBC.

Many restaurants are now setting up warning systems with sensors and cameras because something threatens the industry.

– drastic measures

It is not clear exactly what measures the local authorities will introduce.

Hideaki Omura said at the press conference that if the person who took the inappropriate photos is identified, they will have “no choice but to take drastic action.”

That may indicate that the donor will consider legal action, Mainichi Shimbun writes.

Ghibli Park was built by Aichi Prefecture at a cost of about 34 billion yen (about NOK 2.6 billion).

Management at Ghibli Park did not want to comment on the photos on social media or the governor’s actions.

Some have questioned the company’s stance on social media and said they “shouldn’t make it a nonissue,” meaning it might seem like Park Ghibli doesn’t want to go all out to protect its popular movie characters.