Shogakukan Releases Investigation Report on Manga ONE Controversy, Third Party Committee Cites Human Rights Awareness and Organizational Failures

Shogakukan updated its official website on August 3, announcing the findings of an independent third party committee that investigated the controversy surrounding the appointment of the original author of Joujin Kamen (original story by Hajime Ichiro, illustrations by Eri Tsuruyoshi) for its manga app Manga ONE. The company also published the full 106 page investigation report, which is now available on its official website.

The controversy began after Shogakukan disclosed on February 27 that the original author of Joujin Kamen had been appointed under a different pen name despite previously having their serialization of Daten Sakusen canceled following an arrest and summary indictment for violating Japan's Child Prostitution and Child Pornography Act.

Third Party Committee Releases 106 Page Investigation Report

In April, Shogakukan announced that the third party committee was investigating the facts surrounding the case, as well as whether similar incidents had occurred within the company. The investigation also covered allegations of inappropriate conduct by Shogakukan employees, including cases in which employees allegedly exploited their superior business position to seek sexual acts from business partners.

Announcing the completion of the investigation, the company stated:
"First and foremost, we sincerely apologize to those who suffered harm in connection with this matter. We also deeply apologize to our readers, the authors and creators who contribute their works, our business partners, and all others affected for the concern and inconvenience caused."

Shogakukan added that it had received the investigation report from the third party committee, which was established on March 19, 2026, and chaired by attorney Toshihiko Itami, alongside committee members attorneys Ayumi Fukuhara and Tomohiro Hen.

The company thanked the committee for conducting approximately four and a half months of fact finding and analysis, resulting in a 106 page report, and also expressed gratitude to the many individuals who cooperated with the investigation.

Shogakukan stated that it will carefully examine every finding presented in the report while remaining mindful of those affected and taking responsibility for the issues identified.

Management Responsibility to Be Announced

The company said it will announce management accountability measures and actions to prevent recurrence on August 4, 2026, based on the committee's factual findings and recommendations.

It added that it intends to preserve the lessons learned from the case throughout the organization, foster a corporate culture in which all executives and employees place respect for human rights at the center of their daily decisions, and rebuild trust with all stakeholders.

Shogakukan also urged the public to refrain from engaging in harassment, defamation, or privacy violations targeting victims, related individuals, or company employees, warning that such actions could result in secondary harm.

Committee Points to Organizational Human Rights Failures

In its concluding assessment, the third party committee stated that Shogakukan's organizational framework had significant shortcomings regarding human rights awareness and governance.

According to the report, the committee concluded:
"Unfortunately, Shogakukan did not have sufficient awareness of viewing issues from the perspective of victims of human rights violations, preventing the facilitation of or complicity in human rights abuses, recognizing the human rights risks inherent in power imbalances between editors and authors or other business partners, or establishing an organizational system capable of making and supervising decisions regarding significant risks, including human rights risks."

Source : ORICON NEWS