Obscure - Obscure

Japanese: 伏字 - ふせじ

This refers to the avoidance of obvious expressions in publicly published printed matter, and the use of spaces, circles, or crosses instead of letters to represent those parts. The use of asterisks in Japan began at the same time as the birth of modern Japanese journalism. Immediately after its founding, the Meiji government began its bureaucratic suppression of freedom of speech and the press (censorship of speech). Various regulatory laws were enacted, with a focus on banning publications. Over time, these were systematized, following the Newspaper Printing Ordinance in 1869 (Meiji 2), followed by the Libel Law (1875), the Publication Law (1893), and the Newspaper Law (1909).

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

公刊の印刷物で，明白な表現を避けて，その部分を文字の代りに空白や〇や×で表現することをいう。日本の伏字は，近代日本ジャーナリズム誕生と同時に始まる。明治政府はその成立と同時に言論･報道の官僚的弾圧を開始した(言論統制)。発禁を中心とする各種取締法の制定である。1869年(明治2)に新聞紙印行条例，ついで讒謗律（ざんぼうりつ）(1875)を経て，出版法(1893)，新聞紙法(1909)など，時を追って体系化した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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