Shogakukan Announces Findings From Third-Party Investigation, Salary Cuts
The publisher is moving from investigation to concrete policy, with executive salary cuts and a Human Rights Committee led by senior managing director Kumiko Hanazuka.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Shogakukan revealed on August 3 a summary of findings from a third-party investigation into its Manga ONE editorial department and involvement with manga creator Shoichi Yamamoto. The investigation received reports of 44 incidents of misconduct. The company will cut executive salaries for three months and enact five preventative measures, including a Human Rights Policy and Committee.
The external committee received reports of 44 incidents through dedicated hotlines, including misconduct from senior executives, employees abusing their positions, and editors toward creatives. The committee found that in some cases the company responded appropriately, but in others the response was insufficient.
The report criticized that regarding the victim in Yamamoto's case, the company "encouraged and supported" the violation of her human rights. It concluded that Shogakukan lacked systems to acknowledge victims' perspectives, prevent itself from encouraging violations, recognize power imbalances between editors and authors, and manage significant risks.
Executive staff, including the CEO, managing directors, board members, and auditors, will cut monthly salaries for three months. The president will reduce his salary by 50%, and others by 20-30%.
- Formation of the Shogakukan Human Rights Policy and Human Rights Commission: Policy drafted March 19; committee led by senior managing director Kumiko Hanazuka
- Expansion of human rights training and corporate culture reform: Regular training on respect, prevention, victim support, whistleblowing; manager program; seminars for writers and freelancers
- Revised system and process for working with extern: Source text cut off; listed as a preventative measure
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.