Manga piracyhas been a problem for the Japanese publishing industry ever since it became possible to duplicate and distribute pages of artwork via computers electronically. Since then, piracy has grown into a massive underground industry that undermines the hard work of writers, artists, and publishing companies in Japan. Stopping it is like playing a game of whack-a-mole—take down one manga pirate site, and several more seem to appear in its place.
Although Japan has made efforts to combat piracy and recover lost profits, the problem is only getting worse. That wasthe message recently delivered at a meeting of the bipartisan Manga, Anime, and Game Parliamentary Association(MANGA) within Japan’s National Diet. At this special annual event, Hiroaki Morita and Atsushi Ito, two anti-piracy advocates affiliated with Japanese publishers Kodansha and Shueisha, explained thatthe financial damage caused by pirate manga websites exceeded 1 trillion yen (approximately $6.7 billion) in 2024.
Manga Piracy Is a Global Issue
Legal Challenges and International Cooperation
Asreported by Ken Akamatsu, the former mangaka who is currently serving as a member of the Japanese Diet, during the presentation, Atsushi Ito explained that most manga piracy websites are operated from overseas. They offer unauthorized translations in multiple languages, including English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Spanish, with atotal monthly access count exceeding 1.5 billion visits. Ito highlighted Vietnam as a particularly active hub, suggesting that many Vietnamese nationals who discovered manga and anime while working in Japan as trainees later returned home and started operating piracy websites.
Due to the overseas nature of these operations, legal action—such as criminal prosecution, the most effective deterrent—remains difficult. WhileJapanese government agencies have made efforts to address the issue, slow responses from local authorities in those countries have hindered progress.
More Than Just Manga at Stake
A Call for Long-Term Solutions
These may seem like heavy topics for an entertainment medium, butthe financial stakes go far beyond just manga. In 2022, Japan’s gaming, anime, and manga industries collectively generated 4.7 trillion yen (approximately $32 billion) from overseas markets—an amount comparable to the 5.7 trillion yen (around $39 billion) earned from Japan’s microchip exports.
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As their presentation ended, Morita and Ito emphasized the need for long-term awareness campaigns spanning the next five to ten years to educate global audiences on the harm of piracy. They called on Japanese government agencies to strengthen cooperation and push for more proactive measures. But will these efforts be enough, and will they help reverse the growing piracy trend? Let’s hope so.
