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Japanese lawmakers expressed shock and concern during a general meeting of the multi-party MANGA Diet Members’ League after learning that manga piracy could cost the industry nearly 1 trillion yen ($6.7 billion) in 2024, reversing years of progress in combating illegal distribution.
The meeting, attended by 60 lawmakers and 63 secretaries, highlighted the growing threat of piracy to Japan’s content industry, with Vietnam emerging as a global hub for illegal manga distribution.
Hiroaki Morita, Representative Director of the Anti-Piracy Organization ABJ (Authorized Books of Japan), revealed during the meeting that manga piracy has surged globally, with illegal sites attracting 1.5 billion visits per month internationally.
The ABJ’s analysis revealed that in 2021, the prevalence of massive pirate websites led to an estimated 1 trillion yen worth of manga being read for free.
Through concerted efforts, this figure was reduced to approximately 381.8 billion yen by 2023. However, recent trends indicate a resurgence, with concerns that losses could once again approach 1 trillion yen.
Piracy is no longer confined to Japan. Unauthorized translations of manga are now available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, French, and Italian, making it accessible to a global audience.
Many of these sites monetize through ads for adult games, online casinos, and other borderline illegal services.
Notably, in May 2024, the top 10 English-language piracy sites alone accounted for an estimated $800 million in unauthorized free reading, according to ABJ’s earlier report.
Vietnam has become a central hub for manga piracy, with operators often leveraging their exposure to Japanese culture during training programs in Japan.
ABJ has identified and reported several piracy site operators to Vietnamese authorities, but local enforcement remains lax. In one case, ABJ investigators personally warned a site operator, leading to its shutdown, but no arrests have been made in three years.
The Challenge of Overseas Enforcement
Atsushi Ito, Chairman of ABJ’s Public Relations Committee, stressed the difficulty of combating piracy when operators are based overseas.
Unlike the high-profile case of Mangamura, whose operator was arrested and ordered to pay 1.7 billion yen in damages, overseas cases require cooperation from local authorities.
However, with authorities showing little initiative, ABJ fears that piracy hubs could shift to countries like Indonesia and India.
It was highlighted in the session that short-term measures are insufficient to combat piracy.
In many countries, reading pirated manga is seen as normal, necessitating long-term awareness campaigns over five to ten years. ABJ is also exploring technological solutions, such as watermarking and digital rights management, to curb illegal distribution.
The Economic Impact
The financial damage caused by piracy extends beyond lost sales. It undermines the livelihoods of manga artists, publishers, and related industries, jeopardizing Japan’s position as a global leader in content creation.
With manga and anime contributing 2.5 trillion yen ($16.7 billion) annually to Japan’s economy, the stakes are high.
The MANGA Diet Members’ Caucus has pledged to address piracy through legislative and diplomatic channels. Lawmakers emphasized the need for stronger international partnerships and stricter enforcement of intellectual property rights.
The financial impact is not limited to manga alone. In 2022, Japan’s gaming, anime, and manga sectors generated 4.7 trillion yen from overseas markets, a figure comparable to the 5.7 trillion yen earned from microchip exports.
The Japanese government has recognized the severity of the issue and is implementing measures to combat piracy. A notable initiative includes a 300 million yen ($2 million) pilot project employing artificial intelligence to detect and report pirated content online.
Source: Ken Akatmatsu’ X account
Maybe create a service where people can read manga, uncensored and unaltered by morons forcing ideologies, pay the creators/authors a decent wage instead of the measly 13%-20% they get now and ill throw my money at you, after you have done this you can scream about pirating all you want. Especially recently when thanks to Visa and Mastercard antics i cant even buy anything at all from Japan nor support my favorite circles, and Japan cracking down on eroge and loli content does not help either. Get your shit in order Japan.
Maybe create a service where people can read manga, uncensored and unaltered by morons forcing ideologies, pay the creators/authors a decent wage instead of the measly 13%-20% they get now and ill throw my money at you, after you have done this you can scream about pirating all you want. Especially recently when thanks to Visa and Mastercard antics i cant even buy anything at all from Japan nor support my favorite circles, and Japan cracking down on eroge and loli content does not help either. Get your shit in order Japan.
Totally agree.
They should fix this shit first before complaining about piracy.
And not every manga can be released for global thanks to this. And this also will make mangaka that creating more unique themes can’t expand their work too.
Totally agree.
They should fix this shit first before complaining about piracy.
And not every manga can be released for global thanks to this. And this also will make mangaka that creating more unique themes can’t expand their work too.