Kadokawa Receives Japan Fair Trade Commission Recommendation Over Freelance Law Violations
The recommendation formally flags Kadokawa's treatment of the writers and creators it depends on, and the company's response will be watched as a test of how a major publisher handles freelance protections under Japan's new law.
Reporting from 1 sources: GameBusiness.jp.
Kadokawa announced on June 11, 2026, that it received a recommendation from the Japan Fair Trade Commission for violating the Freelance Law. The company failed to clearly state compensation conditions in writing and did not pay by the due date in past transactions with freelancers involved in publication production. Kadokawa apologized and said it has begun implementing preventive measures.
Kadokawa said on June 11 that it received a recommendation from the Japan Fair Trade Commission under the Act on the Optimization of Transactions with Specific Subcontractors, known as the Freelance Law. The recommendation covers past transactions related to publication production where Kadokawa did not properly specify compensation details, amounts, or payment due dates in writing or electronically, violating Article 3, Paragraph 1, and did not pay by the due date, violating Article 4, Paragraph 5.
The company apologized to the freelancers and related parties and stated that trust relationships with writers and creators are the foundation of its business. Kadokawa said it has already begun implementing preventive measures including new operational rules and guidelines compliant with the law, revised contract templates, a standardized outsourcing flow, a system to prevent projects from proceeding without purchase orders, expanded employee education, and regular internal audit monitoring.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GameBusiness.jp KADOKAWA、公正取引委員会からフリーランス法に基づく勧告——取引条件の明示義務・報酬支払義務に違反