How to Request the Removal of Defamatory Posts on the Casual Discussion Board 'Tanuki

The “Tanuki Bulletin Board” (hereinafter referred to as “Tanuki”) comes in several varieties, such as the “V-Kei Original Tanuki Bulletin Board,” “V-Kei Katanuki Bulletin Board,” and “V-Kei Old Tanuki.” These platforms primarily serve as a place for information exchange, interaction, and casual conversation among fans of the Visual Kei (hereinafter referred to as V-Kei) culture.

If you wish to engage in non-V-Kei related discussions, you can interact with others on the derivative site, “Chat Tanuki.”

While these platforms often buzz with shared interests, they can also become a battleground for arguments. It’s not uncommon for the content to get rough, with instances of slander against band members and fans.

This article will explain how to delete malicious posts on “Tanuki.”

Please note that the administrators for all types of “Tanuki” are the same, so the deletion procedure is common across all “Tanuki” bulletin boards.

What is the Chat Bulletin Board “Tanuki”?

“Tanuki” is,

1. “V-Kei First Generation Tanuki Bulletin Board”, “V-Kei Katanuki Bulletin Board”, “V-Kei Old Tanuki”, etc.: Bulletin boards dedicated to V-Kei (Visual Kei)
2. “Chat Tanuki”: A bulletin board dedicated to non-V-Kei related discussions

These can be broadly divided into two types.

The first one, “V-Kei First Generation Tanuki Bulletin Board” and others, is a place where people who love V-Kei bands and culture chat about V-Kei related topics.

On the other hand, in the second one, “Chat Tanuki”, you can chat about non-V-Kei topics. There are many topics related to streamers and singers who are active on YouTube, TwitCasting, Fuwatch, etc.

On the “Tanuki” bulletin board, there are unique terms for the main users, the V-Kei fans.

• V-Kei band members: Men (noodles)
• Male V-Kei fans: Gya-men
• Female V-Kei fans: Bangya, or Gya
• Underage female V-Kei fans: Real Gya, or Real
• People who are not V-Kei fans, or beginners with little knowledge or experience of V-Kei: Pampi

It is said that many users are from the younger generation in their late teens to early twenties, and unique terms like “Shit-men” and “Target Gya” are used when slander occurs.

By the way, you can jump to “V-Kei First Generation Tanuki Bulletin Board” and “Chat Tanuki” from the links below.

V-Kei First Generation Tanuki Bulletin Board[ja]

Chat Tanuki[ja]

Examples of Defamation Commonly Seen on “Tanuki”

Here are some examples of defamation commonly seen on “Tanuki”.

In the case of “Tanuki” dedicated to the Visual Kei scene,

• Band members and fans are often directly named and their appearances are defamed.
• Personal information such as the addresses and real names of band members and fans are exposed.
• Interactions with band members and unauthorized nude photos are published.
• Band members and fans who are seen as enemies are defamed.
• Fans argue with each other and exchange insults.
• Specific threads dedicated to certain fans are created, where multiple people repeatedly defame them.

In the case of “Chat Tanuki”,

• There are anti-comments and abusive language towards streamers and fans.
• Personal information such as the face photos and real names of streamers and fans are exposed.
• Rumors and false information about the streamers, such as “they are having an affair”, are spread.

Such articles and content do not just stay within “Tanuki”. They may also be reposted on other platforms such as Tanusoku (a news bulletin board) and other summary sites, posing a risk of further damage.

How to Request the Deletion of a “Tanuki” Post

The terms of use prohibit the following:

Image source: Terms of Use – V-kei Original Tanuki Bulletin Board (2ch2.net)[ja]

If you find someone violating these terms, you should:

• Request deletion in the deletion thread.
• If you discover a clearly illegal act, please cooperate in reporting it.

It is stated that you should request the deletion of defamatory posts in the deletion thread.

Requesting Deletion from the Operator

You can request deletion from the operator via the “2ch2.net Contact Form[ja]“. Click on “Deletion Request/General”, enter your email address, type of post, URL, post number, and reason for deletion, and send it to complete the request. You will not receive individual reports even if the post is deleted.

Image source: 2ch2 Contact Form[ja]

Also, you can request deletion from the “Report Thread” link at the bottom right of each thread.

Requesting Deletion from a Lawyer

If you cannot get the operator to delete the post even after requesting it yourself, you can also ask a lawyer to request deletion on your behalf.

If a lawyer makes an inquiry, there is a high chance that the operator will delete the post. Even if you try it yourself and it is not deleted, there is a possibility that it will be accepted if requested by a lawyer.

By consulting with a lawyer, you can state the reason for deletion based on legal grounds. By stating a valid reason, it will be easier for the operator to judge whether or not to delete the post.

Only those with a lawyer’s qualification can request deletion on behalf of the person. If a person without a lawyer’s qualification acts on behalf of the deletion request, it constitutes unauthorized practice (an act that only lawyers are allowed to perform for a fee, performed by a person without a lawyer’s qualification for a fee), which is prohibited by Article 72 of the Japanese Lawyer’s Act.

If you cannot get the post deleted even after requesting it yourself, consider consulting with a lawyer experienced in dealing with online reputation troubles.

Legal Measures to Request the Removal of “Tanuki” Posts

If your request for removal is not addressed, you may need to resort to legal measures.

What is a Provisional Disposition?

When requesting the removal of defamatory articles, instead of a “lawsuit (litigation)”, you first take a court procedure called “provisional disposition”, which is quick and simple.

If your request is approved in the provisional disposition, there is a high chance that you will gain the same effect as winning a lawsuit. Also, compared to a lawsuit that typically takes about six months to a year, a provisional disposition has the advantage of being completed in a short period of 1 to 3 months.

If the provisional disposition is approved, a removal order is issued by the court, and the relevant article is usually removed by the other party.

Related Article: Online Defamation and Privacy Infringement[ja]

Related Article: Online Slander (Defamation) and Infringement of Honor[ja]

Process of Provisional Disposition

The process of removal provisional disposition is as follows:

1. Filing for provisional disposition
2. Examination
3. Payment of security deposit
4. Execution of provisional disposition order

The victim must submit a petition clearly stating the content of the right to be preserved, the fact of the right infringement, and the necessity of preservation.

When you file for a provisional disposition with the court, a procedure similar to oral argument in a trial, called “examination”, is conducted. The examination date is set at intervals of one to two weeks, even if it is held multiple times. It is designed to conclude early to prevent undue delay in the procedure.

As a result of the examination, if the right infringement is recognized and a “decision” to remove the article is made, it becomes a “security decision” (since it is not a “lawsuit (litigation)”, it is called a “decision”, not a “judgment”).

If you win in the provisional disposition, you need to deposit a certain amount of money as a “security deposit”. The security deposit will be refunded later if the conditions are met.

Once the security deposit is deposited, a provisional disposition order to remove the post is issued by the court. As mentioned earlier, once a provisional disposition order for removal is issued, the other party usually complies with the removal without going through a formal trial.

As a result, the goal of getting the post removed is achieved.

If the other party who received the provisional disposition order does not comply with the removal, you can take a procedure called provisional seizure or compulsory execution.

Also, if you file for execution, you can make the other party pay the amount ordered by the court until they remove it.

Related Article: What is the Important “Removal Provisional Disposition” in Defamation Measures?[ja]

Identifying the Poster

Even if malicious posts are removed by the ‘Tanuki’ operator, the pain suffered, losses due to reputation damage, and the time and cost spent on the procedure will not be returned.

In such cases, there is a method to identify the poster of the malicious comment and claim for damages. By identifying the poster and holding them accountable, it is possible to prevent the spread and recurrence of defamation.

However, the log information needed to identify the poster is stored for about 3 months to 1 year, so it is necessary to respond promptly.

The detailed procedure for identifying the poster is explained in the article below.

Related article: How to Identify Malicious Comment Posters on the ‘V-kei Tanuki Bulletin Board'[ja]

Conclusion: If Your Post Isn’t Removed, Consult a Lawyer

“Tanuki” is an anonymous bulletin board for fans of the Visual Kei music genre to interact and chat. However, due to its high level of anonymity, there are not a few cases where rights are violated by malicious posts.

If you are a victim of persistent defamation or personal information leakage, it is necessary to respond quickly to remove the post before the damage spreads.

If your request for deletion is not met, you will need to go through the process of provisional disposition through the court. Such procedures require a certain level of know-how and experience, and are difficult for laypeople to handle.

If you want to remove a defamatory post on “Tanuki”, consult with an experienced lawyer promptly and work towards resolving the issue.

Introduction to Our Firm’s Measures

Monolith Law Office is a legal office with high expertise in both IT, particularly the Internet, and law. In recent years, overlooking information related to reputational damage and slander spread on the Internet can lead to serious harm. Our firm provides solutions for managing reputational damage and online crises. Details are provided in the article below.