The Japanese government faces serious concerns about possible media boycotts, following the recent publication of a United Nations report that highlighted problems of labor exploitation within Japanese animation studios. According to a member of the UN committee, these boycotts could lead to the removal or prevention of anime streaming on platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. A Nikkei Business article revealed that the UN Human Rights Council's July 2024 visit to Japan has brought to light “serious problems within the entertainment and media industry.”with a particular focus on the animation and idol sectors.

Anime
Copyright © Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Key concerns include insufficient wages for animators, excessive work hours, a lack of labor, and the lack of legal protection for contract workers, who represent approximately 30% of the talent in the industry. The Council's report made an urgent call for companies in this sector, including anime production committees, to take measures to ensure decent working conditions for animators and avoid a possible collapse of the industry.

Production committees, responsible for financing the creation of anime, are usually made up of investors from large media, production or merchandising companies. This system has been criticized because, even though the anime industry has exceeded 20 billion dollars, animators have difficulty accessing the profits.since animation companies do not usually own the intellectual property rights of the works they produce, which limits their participation in the income generated by the export of series.

In this context, Pichamon Yeophantong, member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, held a press conference in Japan. When asked if the report's findings could lead to boycotts by streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, he responded: “there is always that risk” and that human rights violations must be addressed.

In response to the publication of the report, the Japanese government established the Public-Private Council for the Content Industry, an entity that seeks to provide a comprehensive program of support to creators, from their discovery and training to the promotion of their artistic production and international expansion. The council will also address labor practices and business relationships in the industry, ensuring creators work in a healthy environment and receive adequate compensation. Board members include prominent Japanese directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda and Takashi Yamazaki.

An eventual boycott of anime would represent a significant financial blow for Japan, since anime is the central axis of the marketing strategy known as “New Cool Japan”, launched in June 2024, with the aim of increasing cultural and media presence of Japan globally. Although the Japanese government formally responded to the UN report, noting that some points seemed “incorrect or biased,” there was no specific mention of anime companies within its official comments.

Fountain: Nikkei Business Publications

Copyright © Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Shares:
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *