The ad went viral before it was withdrawn by Shibushi city on the south-western island of Kyushu.
Social media users described it as “perverse”.“This makes me think of a girl who has been kidnapped and locked up.
it’s the delusions of a pervert,” said one Twitter user. Another called on the local government to “take down this sexist video”.
The city duly pulled the ad, but insisted it had intended only to highlight the city’s commitment to sustainable eel farming amid evidence that the species is threatened by overfishing .
We’re aware that some people were offended,” an official told AFP. “We just wanted to make a video that simply explains the city is known for eel farming.”
A city in Japan has been forced to pull a online promotional video intended to boost the local eel industry following criticism that it demeaned women.
The two-minute video, set to gentle piano music, shows a teenage girl dressed in a black swimsuit, swimming, Man from Atlantis-style, in an outdoor pool and asking to be fed.In other scenes, she is seen sitting at the poolside and playing with a hula hoop, before the advertisement takes a bizarre twist.
After apparently spending a year being fattened up, she dives into the pool and transforms into an eel, offering a cheery “Goodbye” as she swims away.
