Japan fashionistas defend 'obscene' photographer
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photos
Photographer Leslie Kee, 41, moved to Japan when he was 21 to learn to speak Japanese and to pursue his dream of being a photographer. Todayhe has become one of Japan's leading fashion and celebrity lensmen. -- PHOTO: ST
TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese fashionistas leaped to the defence of Tokyo-based Singaporean photographer Leslie Kee on Tuesday after he was arrested for selling books containing pictures of male genitals.
Kee, who has snapped megastars including Lady Gaga and Super Bowl sensation Beyonce, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of obscenity after selling the books at his Tokyo gallery.
The 41-year-old photographer could be jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to 2.5 million yen (S$33,000) if convicted.
Pornography is widely available and produced in Japan, but under domestic law genitals must be obscured, a process usually done through pixellation.
