Porn

One thing that is difficult to get used to in this country is the prevalence of porn. We have, for example, a porn vending machine at the end or street which sells magazines, DVDs, sex toys and other fetishistic items.

We also receive, nearly every day, leaflets in our mailbox advertising porn services which are not remotely ambiguous. A particular favourite is the "happy little prostitute" who is shown in one photo, butt naked, jumping up and down on a bed, in another, butt naked, showing her pretty wares, and in a third, butt naked, sucking on what looks to be honey, but who really knows?

The third porn phenomena is the racks of manga porn lined up in convenience stores usually obscured my salary men clamouring for a read. They are shameless in their open appreciation for somewhat sick and degraded comics (which, somehow make it OK) or "half and half" comics which are half drawn and half photos. Now, I'm not above a good bit of porn every now and then, and mostly I find it more amusing than wrong, but it is this uncompromising acceptance of sexual violence that makes me uncomfortable.