Shogakukan, a prominent Japanese publishing company, has apologized for hiring a manga artist previously implicated in a sexual assault incident to work under a pseudonym on their Manga One app. This controversy sparked after a Sapporo District Court ruling on February 20 revealed that a former private high school teacher had abused his position to sexually assault a female student, leading to a legal decision to compensate the victim. Following this ruling, social media users unearthed the artist’s identity, leading to widespread public outcry against Shogakukan for their hiring practices.

The artist in question, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, had his series 'Daten Sakusen' halted in 2020 after receiving a fine for violating laws against child prostitution and child pornography. After the backlash grew, Manga One's editorial department acknowledged that they had continued to utilize Yamamoto under a different name, which raised serious ethical concerns about the company's judgment and practices. In light of these issues, Shogakukan decided to postpone their 71st Shogakukan Manga Awards ceremony originally scheduled for March 3 and cancel a series of related events, with numerous artists pulling their works from the platform in solidarity.

Experts in business ethics have critiqued Shogakukan for their delayed response, suggesting that the publisher's actions appeared to be reactive rather than proactive, driven by external pressures rather than a commitment to transparency and accountability. Furthermore, the court ruling indicated that a Shogakukan editor had been involved in suggesting settlement terms during discussions between Yamamoto and the victim, further complicating the company’s legal and ethical responsibilities.