Society | Dec 09

NHK pulls plug on televising Olympic qualifiers over sex toy ad

Advertisements for a sex toy company plastered over the ice at qualifiers for the Beijing Olympics curling competition have prompted Japanese public broadcaster NHK to pull matches off the air.

NHK had planned to show all of the Japanese mixed-doubles team’s matches at the qualifying tournament in Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands.

But a red on-ice advertisement for Dutch sex toy company EasyToys prompted a hasty rethink, with NHK pulling the plug on Japan’s opener against the United States on Sunday.

Broadcasts of subsequent matches, including against Latvia and Estonia, were also scrapped, along with Tuesday’s scheduled clash with New Zealand.

NHK said that the decision was taken to allow time to determine whether airing EasyToys’ logo violated its broadcasting guidelines.

“The guidelines call for caution over content that can have an effect on minors and there was a risk that it contravened good taste,” an NHK spokesperson said.


MORE Society NEWS

A fire chief in Shiga Prefecture has been disciplined for "vaccine harassment," after a staff member who chose not to receive the COVID-19 jab was made to work in the office hallway.

As more people keep pets indoors, there has been a call for caution regarding unexpected pet behavior leading to fire accidents.

Last year saw a record-breaking 1,963 prohibition orders issued in Japan under the Stalking Control Law, marking the highest number to date.

POPULAR NEWS

Japan's Meteorological Agency announced the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms in Tokyo at 2 p.m. on Friday, five days later than average.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) announced a formal plan on March 28 to establish priority lanes for autonomous vehicles along expressways stretching from Tohoku to Kyushu within the next ten years.

JAXA has announced the revival of the unmanned explorer "SLIM" following its successful hibernation after making Japan's first moon landing. The probe successfully endured a second lunar night, a period during which temperatures can drop to as low as minus 170 degrees Celsius.

Seven-Eleven have extended the expiry date of its hand-rolled onigiri (rice balls), including salmon, plum, kelp, spicy cod roe, and tuna mayonnaise varieties.

The Japanese government finalized a new strategy on Wednesday aimed at the development of next-generation domestic aircraft, including initiatives for eco-friendly aviation technologies.

FOLLOW US