ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Biderin's loosening of regulations as a response to Medirin's challenge ultimately made it subject to state prosecution. The government crackdown on Biderin in 2007 was unprecedented in the history of the adult video (AV) industry in Japan, as was the arrest of Biderin’s heads and its senior staff members. The conviction itself defeated Biderin totally and, more importantly, ended the dominant cleavage, if not antagonism, between Biderin and Medirin. The whole AV industry went back to normal, with one dominating self-regulatory organisation dealing with the inspection of AVs in Japan. After the Biderin Incident, Biderin commissioned a committee headed by former Eirin director Professor Shimizu to conduct a comprehensive review of the organisation. Biderin accepted all the suggestions and moved to establish a new self-regulatory organisation on July 1, 2008. In the Biderin regime, the industry was dominated by some major AV makers who were also directors on Biderin’s board.
