Japan Thinks Michelangelo’s David Needs Underpants

Japan has a bone to pick with Michelangelo’s famous David statue. They think he needs underpants.

A David replica, alongside another statue of the famous Venus de Milo recently erected in a public park, are causing a stir of controversy with their bawdy nudity. MSN reports that some residents of Okuizumo, Japan, think that the replicas of the nude Renaissance sculptures need to be modestly covered up.

“They are statues of unclothed humans, and such pieces of artwork are very rare in our area,” town official Yoji Morinaga said, specifically highlighting the impact of the statues on Japanese children.

A movement has started to get David a modest loincloth so that Japanese park-goers aren’t exposed to his giblets during rounds of Frisbee golf, reports iol News.

Many of the locals have embraced the replicas, and town officials think that Okuizumo’s 15,000 residents may come to appreciate the sculptures over time. According to Morinaga, the sudden presence of the nude statues has taken some residents aback.

“It is the first time we have had anything like this in our town. Perhaps people were perplexed,” Morinaga said.

Don’t forget, this is Japan we’re talking about. The country has a huge subculture of fetish, including both live-action pornography and animated hentai. However, Japanese obscenity laws dictate that genitals must be obscured or pixelated.

Earlier this week, Tokyo-based photographer Leslie Kee was arrested for selling books containing pictures of male genitalia. If she’s convicted of obscenity, Kee could be jailed for up to two years or fined up to ¥2.5 million ($27 000).

What do you think? Should Michelangelo’s David get a pair of underpants?