On May 28, the UN published a report pointing out serious problems of labor exploitation in the anime industry in Japan. Despite the continued growth of the industry, which in 2022 exceeded 3 trillion yen, the UN warned of abusive working conditions, including low wages for animators, long work hours and unfair contracts. He also highlighted the lack of protection of creators' intellectual property rights.

Japan has ambitiously set out to reach a market of more than 20 trillion yen by 2033, especially internationally, But the UN warns that if these problems are not resolved, companies like Netflix and Amazon could stop distributing Japanese anime. This would put one of the country's largest sources of income at risk.
On September 9, the Japanese government organized the first meeting of the “Public-Private Collaboration Council for the Content Industry,” in which then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledged the concerns raised by the UN. Kishida admitted that conditions have not been established that allow creators to work safely in terms of work environments and fair pay.
The problems within the anime industry
The UN report highlights that Japanese animators are particularly exposed to exploitation. They often face low wages, even though their work is essential to anime production, an industry that generates billions of yen. Additionally, long working hours and lack of fair contracts are common problems. Added to this is the poor protection of their rights to the works they create, which leaves them without the ability to benefit from the commercial success of the products they help create.
If these conditions do not improve, the anime industry risks losing its appeal in the international market.since streaming platforms could seek to avoid the controversy related to working conditions in Japan, seriously affecting the export of content. Reactions to the UN report were immediate, and comments on social media reflect widespread concern:
- «This is no joke. Even if there are political reasons behind it, if we are labeled as exploiters, content export will collapse. As silly as it may sound, maybe we need some kind of fair trade certification».
- «I really hope this gets resolved. It's obvious that creators who make good anime should be paid fairly.».
- «It's sad to think that animators who work in studios can't even afford to buy albums of the anime they make.».
- «If anime also becomes a 'finished product', this country will be in serious trouble».
- «The UN did not need to point this out, as the anime industry in Japan has an unsustainable low-wage model. It's time for reforms, such as allowing studios to retain some intellectual property».
- «Even if there is talk of 'Cool Japan', it may be excluded from a fair trade perspective».
- «It was known within Japan that working conditions in the anime industry were bad, but has the UN also found out?».
- «This has been discussed within the country for a long time, so it was logical that it would be talked about at some point. It's time to do something about it».
- «I thought this was one of those minor issues from some NGO at a UN meeting, but it turns out it's a serious matter».
- «What was expected from 'Cool Japan' was an improvement in creator salaries and ensuring that the anime was not excluded for being so popular, not that the budget was used on other projects. If the UN really wants to prevent labor exploitation, that would be fine».
- «There was an animator who protested during the production of 'Jujutsu Kaisen', these problems could already be seen coming».
- «Some say this is an attack on Japan, but the issue of dumping is also a real problem.».
- «It is important that you continue to point out these problems. Labor exploitation is a fact, and has been a problem that has existed for decades».
Fountain: Hachima Kikou