Popular Japanese anime producer behind Your Name jailed for child prostitution

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Koichiro Ito, known for producing some of Japan’s most popular and successful anime films

Ito, 52, was given a four-year sentence on Friday after he was convicted of “violating laws on child prostitution and pornography” as well as rape, a Wakayama District Court spokesman confirmed to the news agency AFP.

He was accused of paying a 15-year-old girl ¥20,000 (£105) in 2023 for sex; coercing another girl of the same age into taking explicit pictures and paying her ¥12,500 (£66) for them in 2021; and paying a 17-year-old girl ¥30,000 (£158) for having sex with him at his home in December 2023.

All of Ito’s actions violated Japan’s Child Prostitution and Pornography Prohibition Act.

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The court ruling stated that Ito’s crimes consisted of “11 cases of child prostitution, 9 cases of photographing sexual poses and the like, 10 cases of producing child pornography, including those taken at the same time, 1 case of non-consensual intercourse involving one case of child prostitution, and possession of five pieces of child pornography”, Kansai TV reported.

Presiding judge Keiko Fukushima said Ito indulged in child prostitution repeatedly and knowingly. “The defendant repeatedly searched for underage women available for sexual intercourse via the internet, took nude photos of them and had them send them, or offered money to women he met in person to engage in child prostitution and secretly photograph images of sexual intercourse,” she ruled.

“He repeatedly offered money to engage in child prostitution and secretly photograph images of sexual intercourse. This has a significant adverse effect on the healthy development of the mind and body of the victims who are immature in their ability to make autonomous decisions. The degree of responsibility and blame is high.”

Ito was first arrested in Tokyo in February and told investigators he was unclear as to which girl the police case was about since he had nude images from underage girls sent to him on multiple occasions, a report in The Hollywood Reporter said, quoting NHK. Police had begun an investigation into Ito after his name came up in a separate and unrelated child prostitution case.

At his trial, prosecutors sought six years in prison for Ito, who pled guilty at the first hearing.

“He took advantage of the victim's immaturity, seduced her with money, and committed the crime, which is cunning and malicious. The crime was committed at the whim of his sexual desire and there is no room for leniency in the circumstances or motive,” the prosecutors said according to an online translation of a report in NHK.

Ito’s lawyer requested a lighter sentence saying the disgraced producer had reached a settlement with two of the three victims and was attending counselling.

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Ito was a producer for Your Name and Suzume, both critically and commercially successful in Japan, as well as for celebrated films like Weathering with You and The Garden of Words. He was also involved in the 2022 TV series Modern Love Tokyo.

Your Name, released in 2016, was the second highest-grossing domestic film in Japan, behind only Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. The movie won multiple awards, including the best animated feature at the 2016 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, the 49th Sitges Film Festival and the 71st Mainichi Film Awards.

Suzume, released in 2022, similarly opened to majorly positive reviews and went on to become the fourth highest-grossing Japanese movie ever. It was nominated for best animated feature at the Golden Globes, losing out to Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron.

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After news of Ito’s arrest broke last month, Makoto Shinkai, who directed Your Name and Suzume, said on X: “I was shocked to see the news of the arrest of those involved in the production. First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the victim. I am also truly sorry for causing anxiety to everyone who loves and supports the production.”

“I believe that the value of the work will not be diminished as a result of this incident, but I am sure that it will inevitably be viewed with distrust by the public. This makes me feel very frustrated and sad.”