Uh-oh, eh?
Danny Choo has
spotted word that seems to indicate that Canadian customs is blocking the importation of hentai manga and other materials from Japan, and direct word from
someone who actually brought manga-- non-hentai manga –through customs and was treated poorly by the officers.
As more and more officers were called in, the six manga books I had were examined in detail. They were looking, they told me, for pornographic, obscene and adult material. “The age rating is on the back of each book.” (each manga book has ratings like 13+ or 15+ - mine were 13+). I was informed that I could have put different covers on or done anything else I could to get the pornography in and that if I spoke anymore, the books would be seized. So I stood there and watched my previously new books get examined page by page, thumbed through and pressed open because it was assumed if I read manga, that I was a sex offender.
It's pretty awful to hear, and the victim goes into great detail about the history of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and their history of seizing books. So Canadians and travelers into the country, be careful what you carry in for the time being. I have an e-mail out to the CBSA to see if I can get any comment on what their official stance/policy is for manga.
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on Dec. 31, 2008