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| Megumi Igarashi paddles aboard a kayak made to resemble her vagina. / AFP-Yonhap |
A Tokyo artist known for her genital-inspired works has been arrested again in a case that has sparked debate about freedom of expression in Japan.
Megumi Igarashi, 42, was arrested in July for trying to raise money online to build a kayak shaped like her own vagina with a 3D printer.
The fundraising plan _ which authorities deemed illegal _ involved Igarashi sending her fans data that would allow them to print a 3D replica of her genitals. Igarashi was released days after the July arrest following a legal appeal.
On Wednesday, Igarashi was re-arrested for allegedly sending a link "that shows her plan to create a boat using three-dimensional obscene data to a large number of people", AFP reported.
Igarashi "tried to have those people who were willing to finance her plan download the 3D obscene data" in October last year, a police spokeswoman told AFP.
After the July arrest, Igarashi's supporters expressed shock about the authorities' broad use of obscenity laws. Fans began an online petition to demand her immediate release.
"I don't believe my vagina is anything obscene," Igarashi told a press conference in July after her release, according to AFP. "I was determined I would never yield to police power."
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