Billionaire Elon Musk has publicly slammed a push within Japan for anime and manga to be censored to conform with so-called global standards.
The X owner’s objection came on Aug 26, in response to a post on the platform by Zenko Kurishita, a former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member. After Kurishita highlighted a Japanese lawyer’s call for conformity, Musk replied bluntly, “Shame on that lawyer. Who is paying him to push that?”
His comment brought more attention to the issue being debated in Japan, validating the concerns of fans who fear that calls for global standards are simply a Trojan horse for censorship.
The controversy originated when Japanese lawyer Masaki Kito made a post on Aug 25, regarding a rights-related issue with the ongoing second season of Dandadan. Kito argued that to succeed internationally, creators should change their approach.
“It is my view that they should stop and reconsider how to create manga according to global standards,” he stated. “This is necessary for the internationalization of Japanese manga and anime.”
This suggestion from Kito, who was the lead lawyer in the recent copyright infringement case of YOSHIKI against Dandadan, was interpreted by many as a call for censorship.
Kurishita’s initial post, which caught Musk’s eye, highlighted the intense international backlash from fans who argued that they did not want manga to adhere to international standards, and that it would destroy the culture.
Check Kurishita’s complete comment below:
Yesterday in Japan, a famous lawyer made a statement that “anime and manga should conform to global standards,” sparking a debate. Thank you so much for the so many comments in response, such as “overseas fans don’t want that either,” and “that’s the path to destroying culture.” This message reached Japanese creators and fans, and the voices grew louder, leading to it becoming a major trend on X in Japan. I feel that it probably wouldn’t have gotten this big without the voices of people overseas. I also think that it has given Japanese people, who haven’t given these issues much thought until now, an opportunity to realize the “horrible effects of international standards.” I will continue to work together with people around the world to protect content culture such as anime, manga, and games.
The global outcry demonstrated a united front of consumers who believe the unique and often unfiltered nature of anime and manga is the very reason for its success, not a bug to be fixed.
Following Musk’s viral condemnation, Kurishita thanked him for his support, noting that his words had reached creators and fans across Japan. He explained that Musk’s stance helped combat a baseless belief that global standards are more advanced than Japan’s.
Kurishita directly connected this ideology to the threat of censorship, warning that these vague standards can lead to the “problem of blind ‘censorship in the name of localization.“
The response to Kito’s original post has been overwhelmingly negative, with netizens accusing him of advocating for the dilution of Japanese culture to appease foreign sensibilities. The core of the backlash also raised the question about who gets to decide what “global standards” are?
This heated debate online comes as fans and creators are already battling a more direct form of censorship through the financial industry, adding tangible weight to fears that external pressures are actively working to control Japanese media.
The controversy stems from payment networks preventing transactions for legal content, including boys’ love (BL) works or material featuring graphic violence. While major brands like Mastercard state they allow all lawful purchases on their network, this conflicts with the experiences of many businesses.
On Aug 25, Japanese politician and anime fan Taro Yamada held a private meeting to address this very issue, which he described as “financial censorship.”
