Summary

Anime producerKoichiro Itois on trial, almost a year after being detained. He previously worked on severalmovies by Makoto Shinkai, includingYour Name,Suzume,andWeathering with You. It is worth noticing thatthe renowned directoris not involved in the case.

The sentence hearing is set for July 18, 2025. According toSankei, the charges include violations of the Act on Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and the Protection of Children, as well as “forced indecency” — which is how crimes that involve forcing someone to do something “obscene” without consent (or when they cannot legally consent) are called in the Japanese law.

The prosecution isrequesting that Ito be sentenced to six years in jail, claiming that there is no room for leniency in this case.

What Is The Defense Claiming?

The defense, on the other hand, seeks a suspended sentence (which is sometimes referred to assursis), but apparently it’s not denying the charges. Ito’s attorneys claim he has been receiving counseling and has been living under supervision.

In a suspended sentence, the convicted is granted a period of probation instead of serving the prison term, but they have to stick to the rules. If they violate the conditions or commit another crime during probation, then they will serve the original sentence.

According to Chapter IV of the Japanese Penal Code, the prison term must be up to three years (and/or a fine of up to 500,000 yen) in order for anyone to be eligible for suspension — that is, if the person has never received a prison sentence before. Those who have previously received one are eligible if they are sentenced to less than a year in prison.

This means that the sentence which the prosecution seeks likely wouldn’t allow Ito to be eligible for suspension.

More Context About What Happened

Ito was detained in February 2024. He was suspected of asking a teenage girl to send explicit pictures of herself. When arrested, he admitted to it and stated that he had paid the girl for the photos. According toTBS Newsback then, the police discovered additional video and pictures on Ito’s computer.

The crime was discovered during another investigation, with Ito suspected of paying a then-15-year-old girl to perform “obscene activities”, including non-consensual sexual intercourse (according to ANN), while knowing she was underage. He had also admitted to the charges.

According toSankei, in addition to allegedly forcing the victims to send photos and engaging in obscenity with them, Ito also filmed those acts.

He is charged with accusation of crimes against three minors — two of them are likely the girls mentioned above, but the case related to the third minor has apparently not been reported in Japanese media. Because the victims' identities are typically protected in this type of case, it is unlikely that further details will be disclosed.

According to the Act on Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, the definition of “child” means any person under 18 years old.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 17, 2025.

Makoto Shinkai’s Statement in 2024

When Ito was detained in 2024, Shinkaiaddressed the situation on social media:

I was shocked to learn about the arrest of a person involved in my productions. First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to the victims. I’m also deeply sorry for causing any concern among those of you who love and support my work.

I don’t believe what happened will reduce the value of those productions, but I’m aware that many people will now question them. It makes me feel sad and frustrated…