Shogakukan Apologizes to Victim Over ‘Manga One’ Controversy: “We Deeply Feel Our Responsibility for Failing to Protect Women’s Human Rights” [Full Statement]

On the 8th, Shogakukan updated its official website and reported that it had issued an apology to a woman who was harmed by manga artist Shoichi Yamamoto, whose work had been published on the manga app Manga One. The company also released a statement outlining its initiatives to strengthen respect for human rights.

The controversy stems from the hiring of the original author of the serialized manga Jojin Kamen (Story: Ichiro Hajime (一路一); Art: Eri Tsuruyoshi (鶴吉繪理) ), which had been published on the manga app Manga One. On Feb. 27, Manga One issued a statement titled “Explanation and Apology Regarding the Suspension of Jojin Kamen,” announcing that the series’ distribution had been halted.

The statement explained that “there were problems with the decision to appoint the original author and with the confirmation procedures,” leading to the suspension of the series’ distribution and the halt of shipments for its collected volumes. It also revealed that Ichiro Hajime, credited as the original author of Jojin Kamen, is the same person as Shoichi Yamamoto , the creator of Daten Sakusen.

Regarding the circumstances that led to the suspension, the company explained that Yamamoto had been arrested in 2020 and summarily indicted, receiving a fine for violating Japan’s Child Prostitution and Child Pornography Prohibition Act. As a result, Daten Sakusen was canceled at that time. However, in 2022, the Manga One editorial department launched a new series, Jojin Kamen, with Yamamoto serving as the original author under a different pen name.

The editorial department acknowledged that he should never have been appointed as the original author, stating: “Above all, we sincerely apologize to the person who suffered harm.” The statement continued, “The editorial department takes this responsibility very seriously.” It also apologized to readers, to artist Eri Tsuruyoshi, who handled the manga’s artwork, to other contributing creators, and to all related parties for the concern and inconvenience caused.

In a separate statement titled “An Apology to the Person Who Suffered Harm and Shogakukan’s Initiatives to Promote Respect for Human Rights,” the company reported that on March 5, 2026, it was given the opportunity to apologize to the woman harmed by Yamamoto.

“We are sincerely grateful that she accepted our apology,” the statement said. “We will take the opinions we received on that occasion seriously and promise to undertake various initiatives as a company in order to fulfill our responsibility to respect all human rights.”

Shogakukan also reiterated the circumstances of the case, stating that appointing Yamamoto again as the original author under a different pen name was “an act that disregarded the human rights of women,” and emphasized that the company deeply feels its responsibility for the failure of its supervisory and management systems.

On March 5, company directors visited the office of the victim’s legal representative to deliver an apology. Through a phone call arranged by the lawyer, they conveyed their profound apologies directly to the woman.

During the apology, the company acknowledged the following points:
That Yamamoto had been appointed as the original author of a new serialization under a different pen name despite the woman continuing to suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

That there were problems with the company’s management and oversight system regarding this matter.

That Shogakukan has decided to immediately establish an independent third-party committee to investigate the facts, determine the causes, and propose measures to prevent a recurrence, after which the company will implement the necessary actions.

The company also said it had been informed by the victim’s lawyer that the woman strongly hopes “no further victims will be created.” In response, Shogakukan stated that it will take this wish seriously and reaffirmed that it will never tolerate sexual violence, sexual exploitation, or any other form of human rights violation. The company emphasized that respecting human rights is one of the most important responsibilities for any corporation operating as a member of society.

As part of its response, Shogakukan has already decided to establish the third-party committee, formulate and publish a corporate human rights policy, and conduct internal human rights seminars. The company stated that it will sincerely accept the recommendations of the committee and implement concrete measures to prevent similar human rights violations from occurring again.

The statement concluded with another apology:
“We once again extend our deepest apologies to the person who suffered harm. We also sincerely apologize to our readers, the creators who contribute to our publications, our business partners, and all related parties.”

Shogakukan Official

Source : ORICON NEWS