Shogakukan Releases Third-Party Investigation Findings on Creator Misconduct

Shogakukan has published the findings of a third-party investigation into its handling of creator misconduct, revealing 44 reported incidents across its editorial divisions. The publisher also announced executive salary reductions and a suite of human rights reforms designed to prevent recurrence.

What the Investigation Found

The independent committee, chaired by former superintending prosecutor Toshihiko Itami, examined 14,183 digital records and conducted 62 interviews with 48 individuals. The resulting 106-page report centered on Shogakukan's digital manga application Manga ONE and the company's decision to secretly re-employ creators with criminal histories.

Manga creator Shoichi Yamamoto - whose real name is Kazuaki Kurita - was convicted of violating Japan's Child Prostitution and Pornography Act in February 2020 and received a criminal fine. He had been serializing Daten Sakusen on Manga ONE at the time of his arrest. Despite the conviction, Shogakukan editors arranged for Yamamoto to continue working under the pen name "Hajime Ichiro," launching a new series titled Jojin Kamen just three months after Daten Sakusen was cancelled. A civil court ruling in February 2026 ordered Yamamoto to pay 11 million yen in damages for repeatedly sexually abusing a female victim who had been his student. The secret arrangement persisted until public exposure in February 2026.

The investigation also examined the case of Tatsuya Matsuki, writer of act-age, who was convicted in 2020 of coerced indecent acts against underage girls. Matsuki was similarly hired under a pseudonym to write Seiso no Shinrisi for Manga ONE.

The committee's conclusions were blunt. The panel ruled that Shogakukan's actions constituted direct "facilitation and complicity" in ongoing human rights violations. Editors operated with "unchecked authority," legal divisions were "completely neutralized," and the company routinely destroyed harassment committee investigation records during annual staff rotations. Freelancers and external partners were excluded from whistleblowing hotlines, and victim grievances were ignored.

Executive Consequences

Shogakukan announced salary reductions for its leadership. The company president will take a 50% salary cut for three months, while managing directors, board members, directors, and auditors face 20-30% reductions over the same period. The 71st Shogakukan Manga Awards ceremony, originally scheduled for March 3, 2026, had already been postponed in the wake of the initial revelations.

New Human Rights Measures

The publisher outlined a comprehensive reform plan. A formal Human Rights Policy was drafted on March 19, and a dedicated Human Rights Committee led by senior managing director Kumiko Hanazuka has been established.

Key measures include mandatory human rights training for all staff, separate management supervision programs, and guidelines governing interactions with external stakeholders. Shogakukan will also implement human rights clauses in creator contracts, require human rights screening before new serialization agreements, and grant legal departments veto power over editorial decisions in cases involving risk.

The company is building a grievance mechanism aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The system will offer anonymous reporting options, protection measures for reporters, and a specialized response protocol for sexual assault cases that includes psychological counseling. Critically, the mechanism will be accessible to all affected parties regardless of contractual relationship - addressing the gap that previously locked out freelancers and external creators.

Regular Board-level reporting on human rights violations and cross-departmental risk reviews will provide ongoing oversight.

Looking Ahead

The victim in the Yamamoto civil case announced an appeal of the February 2026 ruling in March. Shogakukan's implementation of its announced reforms will face continued scrutiny as the publisher works to rebuild trust with creators and the broader manga industry.