AKB47?

In December, Tomomi Kasai announced she would be “graduating” from the Japanese singing-dancing idol collective AKB48 and pursue a solo career.  She’s made an even bigger splash thanks to a racy photo.

The 21-year-old launched her new life, still under the auspices of the AKB48 management juggernaut, with a debut single at the end of the month and a book of photos  Feb. 4 through major publisher Kodansha.  It’s a common means of raising awareness for a young female star.

On Jan. 11 Shukan Young Magazine, a weekly “manga” comic that is also published by Kodansha, was supposed to run some preview pictures.

However, the day before the issue was to hit the stands it was canceled because of concern for one of the photos, which depicted Kasai in a frontal pose topless, with her breasts covered by the hands of a small Caucasian boy standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. (Click here to see the photo. Possibly NSFW) 

According to the tabloid Yukan Fuji, Kodansha probably lost about 300 million yen ($3.38 million) in terms of printing, advertising and subscription fees because of the delay and the attendant negative publicity.

More significantly, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office has said that Kodansha may have violated child welfare laws by “harmfully influencing the mind and body of a child less than 18 years of age,” referring to the boy in the photo, who appears to be of elementary school age.

Violation of such a law carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine of 3 million yen. Kodansha’s main defense seems to be that no sexual act was depicted in the photo, and Fuji reports that it was cleared by staff last year.
However, it will now be pulled from the photo book also.

It should be noted that the controversy has had no ill effect at all on Kasai’s prospects, nor has it caused any damage for the AKB empire.

The photo book will likely sell even more copies than it would have without the so-called negative publicity.