They fear a boycott of the anime industry

The Japanese government is facing serious concerns about possible media boycotts, following the recent release of a United Nations report that highlighted labor exploitation issues within Japanese animation studios. According to a member of the UN committee, these boycotts could lead to the elimination 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 issues within the entertainment and media industry," with a particular focus on the animation and idol sectors.

Among the main concerns are insufficient wages for entertainers, excessive working hours, lack of labor and the absence 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 prevent a possible collapse of the industry.
Production committees, responsible for funding the creation of anime, are usually made up of investors from large media, production, or merchandising companies. This system has been criticized because, despite the fact that the anime industry has exceeded 20 billion dollars, animators have difficulty accessing profits, since animation companies do not usually own the intellectual property rights to the works they produce, which limits their share of the revenue generated by the export of series.
In this context, Pichamon Yeophantong, a member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, held a press conference in Japan. Asked if the report's findings could lead to boycotts by streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, he replied that "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 are adequately compensated. Among the members of the board are prominent Japanese directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda and Takashi Yamazaki.
An eventual boycott of anime would represent a major financial blow to Japan, as anime is the central axis of the marketing strategy known as "New Cool Japan", launched in June 2024, with the aim of increasing Japan's cultural and media presence globally. Although the Japanese government formally responded to the UN report, noting that some points seemed "incorrect or biased," no anime companies were specifically mentioned within their official comments.
Source: Nikkei Business Publications
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