Wikipedia

Draft:Manga One sex offender hiring scandal

Manga One sex offender hiring scandal
DateFebruary 20, 2026–present
Location
CauseManga One editorial department's hiring of two authors with sex crime convictions under new pseudonyms
ParticipantsShogakukan, Manga One editorial department
OutcomeMass creator exodus, third-party investigation committee established, TV drama production cancelled

The Manga One sex offender hiring scandal (Japanese: マンガワン性加害者起用問題) is an ongoing controversy involving Japanese publisher Shogakukan's manga distribution app Manga One, which was found in February 2026 to have knowingly hired two authors convicted of sex crimes under new pseudonyms. The scandal deepened when it was revealed that an editor had intervened in settlement negotiations between one of the authors and his victim, proposing a non-disclosure agreement. The affair triggered a mass withdrawal of works by prominent manga creators, the suspension of major titles from the platform, the establishment of a third-party investigation committee, and the cancellation of a television drama adaptation, becoming one of the largest scandals in the Japanese manga industry.

Background

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Manga One

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Manga One is a manga distribution app released by Shogakukan on December 4, 2014, for iOS and Android. The app distributes serialized works from Shogakukan's web comic platform Ura Sunday as well as titles from the publisher's print manga magazines.[1][circular reference] Around January 2016, Manga One surpassed Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ to become the most-used manga app by monthly active users among those operated by Japanese publishers.[1]

Prior controversies at Shogakukan

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In January 2024, Shogakukan had faced public criticism over the Sexy Tanaka-san affair, in which manga creator Hinako Ashihara died amid a dispute over the television adaptation of her work. Shogakukan did not hold a press conference in response, issuing only written statements, a pattern of crisis management that drew widespread criticism.[2] Former manga artist and House of Councillors member Ken Akamatsu noted that "Shogakukan has had a string of scandals, and from the manga creators' perspective, the initial response is never good."[2]

First case: Jōjin Kamen

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The perpetrator's crimes

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Kazuaki Kurita (pen name: Shōichi Yamamoto) was a drawing instructor at a private high school in Hokkaido. From February 2015, he serialized the manga Daten Sakusen (Operation Fallen Angel) on Manga One and Ura Sunday.[1]

From the winter of 2016 through July 2019, Kurita subjected a female student (aged 15 at the time the abuse began) to sustained sexual abuse over a period of approximately three years. According to court documents and a detailed chronology published by manga creator Sumi Eno, the abuse included grooming, repeated sexual assault, and acts of dehumanization.[3] The victim subsequently developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative identity disorder.[4]

In February 2020, Kurita was arrested and summarily indicted for violating the Child Prostitution and Child Pornography Prohibition Act (production and possession of child sexual abuse material), and was fined ¥300,000.[5] Daten Sakusen was placed on hiatus; the official reason given at the time was "the author's poor health." Days after his arrest, the series' official X account announced that serialization would resume in March, though this never materialized.[4]

Editor's intervention in settlement negotiations

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In May 2021, a Manga One editor (believed to be Takuya Narita) joined a LINE group chat in which Kurita and his victim were discussing a potential settlement.[6][7] The editor proposed the creation of a notarized settlement document containing the following conditions:[6]

  1. Kurita would pay ¥1.5 million (approximately US$9,600) in settlement
  2. The victim would withdraw her demand that serialization be halted
  3. A non-disclosure clause prohibiting the victim from speaking publicly about the sexual abuse

The victim rejected these terms. In July 2022, she filed a civil lawsuit against Kurita.[1]

Rehiring under a new pseudonym

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In October 2022, Daten Sakusen formally ended its run on Manga One. Kurita posted on X that the reason was "ongoing personal troubles" and expressed gratitude to "Shogakukan and the Manga One editorial department."[4]

Two months later, in December 2022, Kurita began a new serialization on Manga One under the pseudonym "Ichiro Hajime" (一路一), writing the story for Jōjin Kamen (Ordinary Mask). The artwork was handled by Eri Tsuruyoshi, who was given no information about the original author's criminal history.[8]

Investigative journalist Ryuji Kayama of Bunshun Online noted that hiring Kurita as a story writer rather than as a manga artist was structurally designed to conceal his identity, since "a manga artist's drawing style is like a fingerprint recognizable to peers, but by employing him as a story writer, the most identifying feature—his artwork—would never be shown."[4] Kayama further observed that publishers hold registered legal names and addresses for all authors, making it implausible that the editorial department was unaware of the connection.[4]

Civil judgment and exposure

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On February 20, 2026, the Sapporo District Court ordered Kurita to pay ¥11 million (approximately US$70,500) in damages to his victim.[9] In the days following the judgment, posts on X identified the defendant as a Manga One author, triggering the public scandal.

The exposure unfolded in stages. The victim herself first published LINE records and an account of events after consulting her attorney. An X account operating under the name "Moto-11-sai" subsequently took over the role of publicizing the allegations. Manga One serialized creator Sumi Eno (After God) then published a detailed chronology with supporting documentation on the blogging platform note.[10]

Second case: Seisō no Shinrishi

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The perpetrator's crimes

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Tatsuya Matsuki was the story writer for the manga Act-Age (artwork by Shiro Usazaki), serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump.

On August 8, 2020, Matsuki was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault against a junior high school girl. Shueisha cancelled Act-Age the following day and halted shipments of collected volumes.[11] Matsuki was subsequently convicted and sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.[12]

Shueisha's immediate and decisive action in terminating Act-Age was later widely contrasted with Shogakukan's handling of the Manga One cases.

Hiring process at Manga One

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According to Shogakukan's March 2, 2026 disclosure, on August 29, 2024, a Manga One editor contacted Matsuki via his X account to arrange a meeting. The following day, Matsuki shared that he had been writing a novel titled The Hero Party's Psychological Counselor on a fiction-posting website, which would become the basis for Seisō no Shinrishi (The Psychologist of Frost and Stars).[12]

On September 6, 2024, with the approval of the then-editor-in-chief, Hiroki Wada, the editor met Matsuki in person in Tokyo. According to the publisher's account, the editor assessed Matsuki's remorse, his reflections on the crime, and changes in his life since the expiry of his suspended sentence. Matsuki expressed concern that working under his former name could cause secondary harm to his victim and requested a new pseudonym.[12]

The pseudonym "Itsuki Yatsunami" (八ツ波樹) was adopted, and knowledge of the author's true identity was restricted to a small number of people within the editorial department.[12] Unlike the Jōjin Kamen case, the illustrator for Seisō no Shinrishi, Kaoru Yukihira, was reportedly informed of the risks involved.[8]

Connection between the two cases

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Reporting by Anime Corner identified the "then-editor-in-chief" who approved Matsuki's hiring as Hiroki Wada—the same individual named by whistleblower Sumi Eno in connection with the first case involving Kurita.[13] The revelation that the same editor-in-chief was involved in both decisions to hire convicted sex offenders established the perception of a systemic pattern rather than isolated editorial misjudgment.[13]

Shogakukan's response

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First statement (February 27)

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The Manga One editorial department released a statement titled "Explanation and Apology Regarding the Suspension of Jōjin Kamen" on the app on February 27.[5] The statement acknowledged that Ichiro Hajime was the same person as Shōichi Yamamoto and conceded that "he should not have been hired as an original author."[5] However, the statement was criticized on multiple grounds:[1]

  • It was released as a single undated JPEG image
  • It was published on a Friday evening before the weekend
  • It was initially posted only within the app, with no announcement on social media
  • It did not specify Yamamoto's criminal charges
  • Approximately half the statement was devoted to what critics characterized as deflection of responsibility regarding the editor's involvement in settlement negotiations

Second statement (February 28)

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On February 28, Shogakukan issued a statement under the name of the president's office, formally acknowledging Yamamoto's arrest record and stating that "there was a lack of awareness regarding human rights and compliance."[5] The company announced the establishment of an investigative committee including attorneys to ascertain the facts surrounding the serialization and the editor's involvement.[5]

A separate statement issued under the president's office name was briefly published and then deleted, further eroding trust.[14]

Third statement and third-party committee (March 2)

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On March 2, Shogakukan disclosed the Matsuki case and announced the upgrade of its internal investigative committee to a third-party committee.[12] The committee's scope was defined as:[12]

  1. The circumstances surrounding the cancellation of Daten Sakusen
  2. The circumstances surrounding the launch of Jōjin Kamen
  3. The editor's participation in settlement negotiations with the victim
  4. A review of the Manga One editorial department's overall author hiring processes and human rights awareness

As of March 3, 2026, the specific membership and timeline of the third-party committee had not been announced.[12]

Absence of a press conference

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As of March 3, 2026, neither Shogakukan's president nor any senior executive had held a press conference regarding the scandal.[15] This mirrored the company's response to the Sexy Tanaka-san affair, in which no press conference was held even after the manga creator's death.[15]

The planned ceremony for the 71st Shogakukan Manga Award was postponed.[15]

Creator response and exodus

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Major protest statements and work withdrawals

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In the days following the initial disclosure, numerous manga creators announced the withdrawal of their works from Manga One or the suspension of their serializations.[10]

ONE (One-Punch Man, Mob Psycho 100)
Stated: "Manga One. I cannot team up with people who cannot clearly and strongly condemn sexual abuse against minors. That should go without saying." The post was reposted by One-Punch Man illustrator Yusuke Murata.[16]
Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha, Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, MAO)
While she did not issue a public statement, all of her works were withdrawn from Manga One. As one of the best-selling manga creators of all time, her action was widely covered both domestically and internationally.[17]
Sumito Ōwara (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!)
Announced the immediate suspension of updates and stated she would not work with Shogakukan "until significant improvements are made."[17]
Sumi Eno (After God)
Published a detailed chronology and supporting documents on note, functioning as a de facto whistleblower. Stated: "As long as the people who tried to cover up the crimes remain involved with Manga One, it is impossible to continue serialization."[10]

Other creators who withdrew works or issued protest statements included Ryūhei Tamura (COSMOS), Haro Aso (Zom 100), Ikka Matsuki, Satoshi Izumi, Makoto Raiku, Hiroshi Takashige, Ai Minase, Miko Mitsuki, Konomi Katamichi, Yumi Shimabukuro, Yuki Shiraishi, Tomoka Ise, and others.[10]

Shimamoto controversy

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On March 1, manga creator Kazuhiko Shimamoto (Aoihonō, Hoero Pen) posted a statement on X. While condemning the crimes themselves as "something that should never have happened," he stated: "The people who committed the crime and those involved are not many, and I do not believe they were intentionally trying to hide it."[18]

Manga creator Yasusui Horidei publicly rebutted Shimamoto, arguing: "Authors contract with the publisher, not individual editors. Across departments—accounting, advertising, publishing—Yamamoto Shōichi and Ichiro Hajime would have been registered as the same person. It is nearly impossible that no one in the company knew."[19]

The exchange was noted as evidence that the controversy had become an established, ongoing debate within the manga creator community rather than a transient outrage.

Japan Cartoonists Association

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The Japan Cartoonists Association issued a statement on February 28, describing the matter as "a significant issue affecting trust in the industry" and calling on the relevant publisher to conduct a transparent investigation with due consideration for the victim's dignity and safety, and to publicly release its findings and preventive measures.[20]

Impact

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Content removal from Manga One

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The mass creator withdrawal rendered numerous major titles unavailable on Manga One, including Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½, Patlabor, MAJOR, Mogura no Uta, Aoihonō, and Hoero Pen. All displayed a message stating "This title's distribution has ended" and were inaccessible via both the app and web interface.[14]

Purchased content rendered inaccessible

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Users who had purchased manga on a per-episode basis found that their previously purchased content was no longer accessible. Shogakukan stated that refund arrangements were "under consideration." Content purchased in collected-volume format remained available.[14] The issue raised consumer rights concerns as an additional axis of criticism.

Television drama cancellation

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Nippon Television cancelled production of a live-action drama series adapted from a Shogakukan manga, even though the cast and details had not yet been publicly announced.[21] The decision was widely interpreted as a precautionary measure motivated by the Sexy Tanaka-san precedent.

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Hiroko Kotake, the attorney representing the victim in the Jōjin Kamen case, told the Nikkei that "the editor and Shogakukan may not have fully understood the severity of the abuse at the time, but pursuing a low-value settlement and attempting to minimize the incident were self-serving actions for which social responsibility must be demanded."[22]

Victim's public statement

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On March 3, TBS's news program news23 broadcast comments from the victim herself, in which she stated: "I was pressured by the editor not to speak publicly about the Daten Sakusen author. It's painful that only the perpetrator's life keeps going well. It's frustrating."[23] The broadcast was significant as the first time the victim's own words were televised nationally, undermining Shogakukan's stated rationale that the pseudonym changes were made "out of consideration for the victim."[23]

Media coverage

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Domestic coverage

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Television

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NHK reported on the third-party committee on the evening of March 2.[24] NTV reported on March 1 the new finding that the editor had proposed the creation of a notarized settlement document.[6] TBS's news23 broadcast a detailed segment on March 3 that included the victim's comments and an interview with a corporate risk management expert who criticized Shogakukan's response.[23]

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The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Kyodo News, and Jiji Press all reported on the scandal. Kyodo's wire copy was carried by regional newspapers including the Shizuoka Shimbun.[25]

Business and investigative media

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Toyo Keizai Online published an analysis on March 2 drawing explicit parallels to Fuji Television's talent sexual assault scandal, arguing that the cases were similar in their prioritization of commercial relationships over victims and the publisher's complicity with the perpetrator. The article questioned the independence of the initial investigative committee and argued that Shogakukan's leadership should face the public, as Fuji Television's executives were compelled to do.[15]

Bunshun Online published a four-page investigative article by Ryuji Kayama on March 3, analyzing the structural concealment built into the hiring decisions and stating that the non-disclosure proposal "can hardly be defended against the interpretation that the editorial department intended to participate in covering up the problem."[4] Bunshun is notable for its decades-long investigative pursuit of the Johnny & Associates sexual abuse scandal, which ultimately led to the dissolution of that agency.

International coverage

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English-language coverage of the scandal expanded in distinct stages:

Stage 1 (from February 27): Anime and manga specialist media including Anime News Network, ComicBook.com, and Anime Corner provided initial reports.[26]

Stage 2 (from March 1): Major entertainment media Screen Rant entered coverage with a comprehensive article encompassing both cases, the creator exodus, and the whistleblower disclosures.[16] The Malay Mail published a detailed English-language report from Tokyo.[7]

Stage 3 (March 3): The Japan Times, Japan's largest English-language newspaper, published a report based on Jiji Press's English wire service.[9] Nippon.com, a multilingual information platform affiliated with the Japanese government, also reported the story.[27] Tokyo Weekender published a report emphasizing the departures of Takahashi and ONE.[17]

English-language media uniformly framed the Matsuki revelation as establishing a pattern. Anime Corner reported the discovery of a "second convicted sex offender," ComicBook.com described Shogakukan as having "concealed the identities of two major creators," and Screen Rant characterized it as "another convicted offender" found during internal investigation—collectively cementing the perception that two cases constituted organizational culture rather than individual error.[13][16]

Analysis

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Comparison with Fuji Television scandal

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Toyo Keizai Online drew explicit parallels between the Manga One scandal and the Fuji Television sexual assault scandal, noting similarities in "prioritizing relationships with important business partners and continuing to employ perpetrators, and acting in complicity with the perpetrator's side." In the Fuji Television case, the company's executives resigned and sponsors suspended advertising. The comparison established a framework of expectation that Shogakukan's leadership should similarly face public accountability.[15]

Comparison with Sexy Tanaka-san affair

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Multiple commentators, including Toyo Keizai Online,[15] Bunshun Online,[4] and Diet member Ken Akamatsu,[2] drew structural parallels with the 2024 Sexy Tanaka-san affair. Common elements identified across both cases included Shogakukan's refusal to hold press conferences in favor of written statements, a corporate culture prioritizing internal logic over the interests of creators and victims, and slow and inadequate initial crisis response.

Independence of the third-party committee

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Toyo Keizai Online questioned the independence of the initially announced investigative committee, arguing that its composition raised "doubts about independence from the company, and whether neutrality and objectivity can be ensured." The article called for an investigation modeled on Fuji Television's third-party committee, encompassing not only the known cases but any similar issues that may have occurred.[15]

Structural concealment through the story writer role

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Bunshun Online analyzed how the division of labor in manga production—between story writers and illustrators—was exploited to conceal the perpetrators' identities. Because manga artists' drawing styles serve as identifying signatures recognizable to industry peers, employing convicted authors as story writers rather than illustrators ensured that their most identifying characteristic would never be publicly displayed.[4]

Timeline

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DateEvent
February 2015Daten Sakusen begins serialization on Manga One
Winter 2016–July 2019Kurita sexually abuses victim over approximately three years
February 2020Kurita arrested, summarily indicted, fined ¥300,000 for CSAM offenses; Daten Sakusen goes on hiatus
August 8, 2020Tatsuya Matsuki arrested for indecent assault; Shueisha immediately cancels Act-Age
2020Matsuki convicted; sentenced to 18 months, suspended for 3 years
May 2021Manga One editor joins victim's settlement negotiations, proposes NDA
July 2022Victim files civil lawsuit against Kurita
October 2022Daten Sakusen formally ends on Manga One
December 2022Kurita begins Jōjin Kamen under pseudonym "Ichiro Hajime"
August 29, 2024Manga One editor contacts Matsuki's X account
September 6, 2024Editor-in-chief Hiroki Wada approves meeting with Matsuki; serialization discussions begin
August 2025Seisō no Shinrishi begins serialization on Manga One
February 20, 2026Sapporo District Court orders Kurita to pay ¥11 million in damages
c. February 24, 2026Allegations posted on X identifying Kurita as Manga One author
February 27, 2026Manga One editorial department issues first statement; creator withdrawals begin
February 28, 2026Shogakukan issues second statement under president's office; announces investigative committee; Japan Cartoonists Association issues statement
March 1, 2026NTV reports editor proposed notarized settlement; all Rumiko Takahashi works removed from Manga One
March 2, 2026Shogakukan discloses Matsuki case; upgrades to third-party committee; NHK reports; Toyo Keizai analysis published; NTV cancels Shogakukan drama; Manga Award ceremony postponed
March 3, 2026Japan Times, Nippon.com report in English; Bunshun Online publishes investigative article; TBS news23 broadcasts victim's comments

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "マンガワン". Wikipedia (Japanese). Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  2. 1 2 3 "赤松健コメント". Oricon News. 2026-02-28. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  3. ↑ "Shogakukan Manga Editor Implicated in Potential Cover-Up of Author's Sexual Abuse of Minor". Anime Corner. 2026-02-27. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ryuji Kayama (2026-03-03). "マンガワン問題で小学館は何をして、何を"しなかった"？". Bunshun Online. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "マンガワンにおける原作者起用について小学館から声明". Comic Natalie. 2026-02-28. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  6. 1 2 3 "編集者が和解条件に関する公正証書作成を提案". NTV NEWS NNN. 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  7. 1 2 "Manga publisher Shogakukan faces scandal over editor's role in author's sexual abuse case". Malay Mail. 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  8. 1 2 "小学館「マンガワン」、「アクタージュ」原作者も別名義で起用". ITmedia NEWS. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  9. 1 2 "Publisher to investigate its hiring of two manga authors convicted of sex crimes". The Japan Times. 2026-03-03. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "マンガワンでの配信を停止します──漫画家からの宣言相次ぐ". ITmedia NEWS. 2026-02-27. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  11. ↑ "Shogakukan's Manga ONE Reports New Author Appointment Issue". ORICON NEWS Japan Anime News. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "マンガワンにおける新たな原作者起用問題と第三者委員会設置について". Shogakukan. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  13. 1 2 3 "Shogakukan confirms second convicted sex offender working under pen name". Anime Corner. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  14. 1 2 3 "小学館「マンガワン」、「フリーレン」「めぞん一刻」など読めない状態に". ITmedia NEWS. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "小学館「マンガワン」が未成年に性加害の原作者を再起用…事態悪化をまねいた"本当の罪"". Toyo Keizai Online. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  16. 1 2 3 "One-Punch Man Creator Condemns Top Manga Service Amid Exodus After Massive Scandal Rocks the Industry". Screen Rant. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  17. 1 2 3 "Inuyasha and One Punch Man Artists Leave Manga One App Amid Scandal". Tokyo Weekender. 2026-03-03. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  18. ↑ "小学館マンガワン問題、漫画家・島本和彦の声明が波紋". J-CAST News. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  19. ↑ "マンガワン「常人仮面」騒動に対して島本和彦先生がコメント". Togetter. 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  20. ↑ "Japan Cartoonists Association Issues Statement on Sexual Misconduct". ORICON NEWS Japan Anime News. 2026-02-28. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  21. ↑ "日テレが小学館原作連ドラの制作を見送り". Sports Hochi. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  22. ↑ "被害者代理人弁護士コメント". Nikkei. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  23. 1 2 3 "小学館 漫画家の"性加害"知りながら新連載マンガの原作者に起用". TBS (news23). 2026-03-03. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  24. ↑ "小学館 第三者委員会設置へ". NHK. 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  25. ↑ "漫画サイト掲載終了相次ぐ". Shizuoka Shimbun (Kyodo). 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  26. ↑ "Manga Publisher Cancels Big Series Following Reveal of Author's Controversial Past". ComicBook.com. 2026-02-28. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  27. ↑ "Shogakukan to Probe Hiring of Manga Artists Convicted of Sex Crimes". Nippon.com (Jiji Press). 2026-03-03. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
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