Earlier this year, Japanese publishing giant Shogakukan faced intense scrutiny after revelations that its Manga One division had quietly reemployed a male writer who had been penalized for sexually assaulting a minor. The writer was allowed to continue working under a pseudonym. Compounding the issue, his editor-in-charge was implicated in settlement negotiations with the female victim and suggested a confidentiality clause, escalating public backlash. Months later, an independent committee’s investigation into the matter has concluded, prompting Shogakukan to outline corrective actions and the editor-in-charge to issue a contentious apology.
The comprehensive 106-page investigation report states that Shogakukan’s choice to permit Shoichi Yamamoto’s continued professional activities “can reasonably be seen as complicity in a human rights violation.” This decision followed the editorial department’s knowledge of Yamamoto’s fine for breaching child prostitution and pornography laws, and after the victim had explicitly objected to Manga One resuming his prior manga series (which was eventually terminated due to a civil lawsuit initiated by the victim).
Furthermore, the report observes that Manga One’s decision to reintegrate Yamamoto solely as an author—with another artist handling the artwork for his new manga—“seems, from an objective standpoint, to have been designed to shield readers, including the female victim, from identifying the individual through their name or artistic style,” though the editor-in-charge has refuted such intentions.
The committee also discovered that the decision to rehire the writer originated from the editorial division without informing Shogakukan’s administrative departments. From the initial planning stages to the launch of Yamamoto’s new series, management was unaware of his previous authorship, and no consultations were held regarding the appropriateness of proceeding with the project. The report also criticizes Shogakukan’s corporate ethos, noting that its emphasis on editorial autonomy fostered a tendency to leave contentious decisions to editors-in-chief, leading to a lack of proactive involvement from higher executives.
In response to the findings, Shogakukan has extended another apology and detailed measures it intends to implement to prevent similar issues. These include drafting a new internal Human Rights Policy and forming a committee with external members to oversee its enforcement. Notably, Shogakukan asserts that if a severe human rights violation against a victim occurs involving its authors and maintaining a professional relationship is deemed ethically unacceptable, it will terminate their employment.
Meanwhile, the editor-in-charge involved in the Shoichi Yamamoto controversy, identified as “Mr. G” in the investigation report, has identified himself on X as Takuya Narita and posted a personal apology. While Narita admitted that his actions contributed to secondary victimization, he has faced significant criticism for claiming he was not fully aware of the specifics and severity of the situation between Yamamoto and the victim, despite his central role in the case.