We mention so many times about the tough life of freelancers esp. creators in anime and manga world. Today we had another news and the government finally moved a bit (just a bit) to combat the issue.

 

Tokyo, Japan – March 28, 2025 — The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) issued its first-ever official warning under the new Freelance Protection Law to two major publishing houses, Shogakukan Inc. and Kobunsha Co., Ltd., after determining that both companies had violated legal obligations in their dealings with freelance writers, photographers, and other creative professionals.

According to the JFTC, Shogakukan failed to provide clear terms and payment deadlines in contracts with 191 freelancers between December 1 and 31, 2024. Similarly, Kobunsha was found to have engaged in comparable misconduct with 31 freelancers from November 2024 through February 2025. Both publishers were found to have delayed payments and issued verbal agreements without written confirmation of contract terms or compensation amounts—practices that are now explicitly illegal under the Freelance Protection Law, enacted in November 2024.

 

Systemic Violations Despite Legal Reforms

The Freelance Protection Law mandates that clients must clearly communicate contract details—such as the scope of work, payment amount, and deadlines—in writing or by electronic means prior to work being assigned. Furthermore, the law stipulates that payment must be made within 60 days of receiving deliverables, unless otherwise specified.

Investigations revealed that Shogakukan frequently relied on verbal instructions such as “Please take care of this job,” without discussing fees or deadlines. In many cases, payments were delayed well beyond 60 days, particularly at Kobunsha, where some freelancers were not compensated for nearly 90 days after completing assignments.

 

Publishers’ Culture of Exploitation

Despite having internal compliance manuals and legal training in place, the JFTC criticized both publishers for lacking a proper understanding of the law. The commission described the companies’ behavior as part of an entrenched culture of “informal transactions” that left freelancers vulnerable to exploitation.

Shogakukan is one of Japan’s leading publishers, known for its wide array of male-oriented comic magazines such as Weekly Shonen Sunday, Big Comic, and Monthly Sunday GX, as well as popular female-oriented titles like Sho-Comi, Cheese!, and Petit Comic. Kobunsha publishes widely read weekly magazines including Josei Jishin and Flash.

While this reprimand only pertains to a sample of transactions, the JFTC noted that Shogakukan worked with over 2,000 freelancers and Kobunsha with over 4,000 during the same period, and both companies have been urged to conduct internal investigations across all current and past contracts.

 

Public Reactions and Industry Implications

The announcement has sparked a wave of reactions online, especially among freelancers and creative professionals who have long endured what many described as uncompensated labor, ambiguous contracts, and exploitative demands from large publishing houses.

“Without legal pressure, freelancers would continue being exploited under the guise of informal requests,” one commenter noted.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said another. “The publishing, advertising, and IT industries all have the same problem—no contracts, vague instructions, and zero accountability.”

Some pointed out the irony of Shogakukan being involved in this case after its role in recent controversies such as the Sexy Tanaka-san incident, where treatment of creators was also under public scrutiny.

 

A Turning Point for Freelance Rights in Japan?

This marks the first official action under the Freelance Protection Law, but the JFTC confirmed that it had also issued guidance to 45 additional companies in various industries—including gaming, animation, fitness, and relaxation services—over similar suspected violations.

Experts and freelancers hope this case will set a precedent and lead to broader enforcement across industries.

“The era of publishers and clients acting like kings is over,” one industry insider commented. “This is a wake-up call—they need to update both their legal knowledge and their attitudes.”

 Source: Asahi news, Mainichi news, Japanese government official website