Anime, Manga Censorship and Gaming Raises Concern Among Japanese Politicians
Sophie Laurent 
Key Takeaways
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- Confidential meeting was held among Japanese politicians and payment entities to discuss censorship concerns in the Visual Industry, particularly regarding legal content types like homosexual romance, graphic violence, and sexual content.
- Allegations of financial censorship have been made against entities within the payment processing chain, causing some Japanese businesses to cease operations or face difficulties with international payment services.
- Mastercard faced scrutiny in July for reportedly removing certain content from Steam and Itch, although they publicly assert that they allow all lawful purchases and expect platforms to adhere to this policy.
- Further investigations are necessary to clarify the stances of participants in the meeting and address ongoing tensions regarding content moderation and financial service availability within Japans Visual Industry.
Confidential Meeting on Visual Industry Censorship Concerns among Japanese Politicians and Payment Entities
Taro Yamada, a Japanese politician from the Liberal Democratic Party, disclosed details of a confidential meeting with representatives from credit card companies, payment processors, and banks, where censorship issues were discussed. The meeting reportedly focused on the Visual Industry, with participants engaging international brands, payment agencies, and banks to address concerns following allegations of financial censorship. While unable to disclose specific attendees or the full content of the discussions, Yamada stated that everyone’s stance became clearer and attendees made significant progress, though further investigation is still required. This meeting followed claims that entities within the payment processing chain were pressured to halt transactions for specific, legal content types, including homosexual romance, graphic violence, and sexual content. In July, Mastercard faced scrutiny after various content was removed from Steam and Itch. The company subsequently stated publicly that it permits all lawful purchases and expects platform owners to adhere to this policy. However, several Japanese businesses claim they ceased operations after an international company, recognized for its credit card and payment processing services, demanded the removal of specific content from their stores or refused to process payments.
Meeting on Visual Industry’s Content Moderation and Financial Access Tensions among Japanese Leaders
These developments highlight ongoing tensions regarding content moderation and financial service availability within Japan’s Visual Industry.
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About the Author
Bruno Pferd 
Carlos Mendoza 
Marcus Thompson 
Ahmed Hassan 
