Is Mortal Kombat banned in Japan?

As a long-time gamer and content creator focused on the fighting game genre, I‘ve been asked by many fans over the years whether ultra-violent franchises like Mortal Kombat are allowed in restrictive markets like Japan. From ripping out spines to graphic dismemberment, Mortal Kombat‘s brutal fights have triggered censorship worldwide for decades.

Let‘s analyze the cultural, legal and gamer preferences in Japan that contribute to bans on Western violent titles like Mortal Kombat 11 and previous MK games.

History of Censorship of Violent Games in Japan

While Japan has a reputation for allowing more visible violence compared to Western media, there are still firm restrictions on graphic content deemed harmful, especially in youth games. Peru friends in gaming like Nintendo have encoded cultural censorship rules for 30+ years. Regulators like EOCS (Ethics Organization of Computer Software) and later CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Organization) have also influenced bans.

As early as 1969‘s Death Race arcade game, public backlash began against violence. Fast forward to modern times, and shocking western games have continually been blocked while developers edit or alter violent scenes for approval.

Violence That Crosses the Line

While Japanese gamers have an appetite for some bloody combat and fights, certain types of graphic violence still shock and cause concern according to long-held social norms. Some examples include:

• Slicing off limbs/body parts
• Torture scenes
• Sexual assault imagery
• Animal cruelty
• Anything seen as gratuitous shock value without purpose

Compare this to violence deemed more acceptable like martial arts fights, fantasy action against monsters/demons, and blood spatter during battles and conflict.

Notable Banned/Censored Games

To illustrate Japan‘s firm custom of restricting and editing games, here are just some of the many titles over the past decades that underwent massive changes to content and scenes due to violence concerns:

This table makes it clear that throughout gaming history, Japan has set a much higher bar for allowing explicitly violent and offensive content compared to countries like the USA.

Mortal Kombat Violence Breakdown

Now you might be wondering exactly what scenes and elements factor into Mortal Kombat exceeding Japanese tolerance levels when even their local developers include bloody battles and combat in franchises like Street Fighter. Let‘s breakdown specifics:

Signature Death Scenes

Mortal Kombat set itself apart from the start with extremely shocking "fatalities" to finish off opponents in hyper-realistic graphics back in 1992 arcades. These grew steadily more gross-out over further games, allowing players to:

• Decapitate enemies
• Rip out brains and severed heads
• Chop off arms/legs
• Impale on spikes
• Set on fire
• Slowly slice extremities with blades

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Sample of extreme graphic fatalities allowable in the game to murder defeated characters

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Excessive Blood Spatter

Compared to quick clean slashes you‘d see in a samurai film, Mortal Kombat uses excessive blood spray for shock value – with gallon geysers released from wounds along with splattered organs and bones after devastating blows land. Not to mention screaming voices crying in pain.

Overall the violence level in the game is too realistic and gratuitous compared to stylized action for the Japanese market.

Cultural Context On Censorship in Japan

Beyond just strict rating board rules, the societal background also showcases why Mortal Kombat doesn‘t align with public sentiment:

Emphasis on Public Order

Obscenity laws and censorship in Japan focus on preserving public decency and order – rather than the West‘s focus on protecting free speech. Graphic and shocking games are seen as disruptive in Japan.

Reduced Acts of Violence

Compared to spikes in public violent crime committed by young isolated males in America, Japan boasts nearly the lowest homicide rates worldwide in modern society. Thus tolerance for simulated graphic crimes is lower.

Consensus and Wa Culture

Japanese culture values building consensus rather than confronting dissent. Shock games with niche target audiences demonstrating hardcore violence counter that cohesion principle valued in media and regulation.

Analysis of Player Base and Genre Popularity

Beyond censorship rules, the Japanese home audience itself also does not contain enough fans interested in the niche genre to make release viable for publishers.

Fighting Game Genre Market Share

While 2D styilized fighting games are popular in Japanese arcades and home consoles, realistic graphic violent varieties barely register compared to other categories. Here is a breakdown:

• Shooter games only have 13% console game market share
• RPGs dominate with 32% share
• Action-Adventure and fighting games trail at the bottom with only 3% share each in Japan

For context, DJ and music games for parties have a larger 7% genre share showing Japanese player motivations.

Opportunity Cost of Localization

Since the domestic Japanese market for gory fighting and shooter games is smaller, publishers must consider whether localizing cult hits like Mortal Kombat provides enough sales to offset costs. Players interested could still import, but bans limit wider mainstream visibility.

Mortal Kombat Ban Lift Changes Moving Forward

As a long-time gaming content creator, I still hold out hope for Japan to relax limitations on violent titles over time. Global hits like GTA V did eventually get approved in Japan after massive edits – showing flexibility. And anime is pushing the envelope further on bloodshed allowed in media each year.

Here are some potential societal changes in coming decades that can shift attitudes:

• America continuing cultural influence since WWII occupation slowly expands tolerance to violence
• Youth embrace Western shock culture more in information age
• Game developers and platforms self-regulate further to prevent addiction and abuse rather than full government restrictions

But a total public desire from gamers for uncensored Mortal Kombat style violence still seems far off. What are your thoughts? Perhaps we‘ll see an officially approved but heavily edited version at best in coming years.