The government is looking into ways to improve the working environment in the animation industry.
Despite Japan's anime-related sales of 2.15 trillion yen (19.5 billion dollars) in 2017 -- 1.6 times that of 2007 -- some work processes for making animation have been transferred to South Korea and other countries, such as those in Southeast Asia, due to the harsh working environment in Japan.
The government will conduct a fact-finding survey and use it as a basis to revise guidelines for creators to subcontract and carry on making high-quality work.
Many processes for producing anime need manpower, such as making original drawings -- more than 3,000 sheets for a 30-minute program -- and filming the animated images. According to the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, about 90 percent of creators have undertaken work as individuals and often have been forced to agree to messy contracts, such as those with a commission system imposed that keeps wages low or the production companies do not even provide work orders.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the economy ministry will send questionnaires to about 1,000 creators who subcontract privately to make original drawings and videos, asking for example whether they have contracts or have any issues regarding the terms of their contracts. The ministries will let an expert panel evaluate and analyze the questionnaires along with interviews already completed with TV broadcasters and production companies. By the end of the current fiscal year, new standards for fair subcontracts among other issues will be provided.
"There are only a few anime creators who can live on only their created work," said Yasuhiro Irie, a representative director of the Japan Animation Creators Association. "If treatment of them does not improve, the animation business may be accelerating the hollowing-out of itself, and it will be difficult to foster the creators who can succeed in the next generation."
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