Japanese artist Megumi Igarashi had an interesting idea for an art project: She wanted to create a kayak modeled on her vagina. But when Igarashi emailed images of her vagina to her supporters for 3D printing, she was arrested in Tokyo on grounds of obscenity.
Igarashi, 42, started a crowd-funding project for the kayak under the name Rokudenashiko — which roughly translates to "good-for-nothing girl" — and wrote on her campaign's page that she wanted the boat to be anatomically accurate. She wrote that silicone molds will "gradually deteriorate, which makes mass production difficult," requiring monetary support. According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, Igarashi received roughly one million yen to fund the project.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This isn't Igarashi's first genitalia-inspired art project — she's previously created comic books, dioramas, and even a remote-control car based on her vagina. She's already built quite a fan following, too: There's a Change.org petition to protest Igarashi's arrest, and it's already garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
And as for Igarashi's opinion? "My work is against discriminative, ignorant treatment of the vagina," Igarashi wrote on her website, translated by Wired. "I thought it was just funny to decorate my vagina and make it into a diorama, but I was very surprised to see how upset people get when they see my works."
-
Epstein files: Maxwell courts a pardonFeature A new prison transcript shows Ghislaine Maxwell praising Trump as 'a gentleman' while denying his involvement in the Epstein scandal
-
Pentagon readies military deployment in ChicagoFeature The Pentagon is preparing to deploy thousands of Illinois National Guard members to Chicago after Trump threatened to send troops into other major cities
-
Trump: Taking over the private sector?Feature Donald Trump has secured a 10% stake in Intel using funds from the Biden-era CHIPS Act
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
