Anime Producer Kouichirou Itou Admits to Payment for Intimate Services with Minor
by 
Danica Davidson
March 4, 2024
Fresh allegations have surfaced against Kouichirou Itou, a producer known for collaborating with renowned director Makoto Shinkai on various projects. Itou, who was initially apprehended last month for supposedly compensating an underage girl for explicit images, now faces accusations from Wakayama Prefectural Police for paying a different 15-year-old girl for sexual activities. Itou has admitted to this offense.
According to reports, Itou encountered the girl on social media in the summer of 2022. More than a year later, in November 2023, he allegedly offered her 20,000 yen (approximately $133) for intimate relations. Notably, Japan revised its age of consent from 13 to 16 in 2023. Itou stands accused of engaging in “indecent acts” with the 15-year-old.
The previous incident involved another 15-year-old girl, to whom Itou purportedly attempted to procure nude photos. At 52 years old, Itou had casually dismissed the claims, stating he had engaged in similar activities with others, making it hard for him to recall specific details about the particular girl. Allegedly, he offered 12,500 yen (approximately $83) to the girl. The police’s inquiry into other prostitution cases inadvertently unveiled Itou’s alleged offenses.
Itou served as a producer for several well-known anime titles, including After School Midnighters, Ani × Para: Anata no Hero wa Dare Desu ka, Children Who Chase Lost Voices, The Garden of Words, Hoshizora Kiseki, Kakurenbo – Hide & Seek, The Place Promised in Our Early Days, Rokurō no Dai Bōken, Suzume, Weathering With You, and your name.
Although not directly mentioning Itou, Shinkai released an official statement expressing sympathy for the victims, stating, “I was deeply dismayed upon learning about the arrest of an individual associated with the production of my films. My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims.”
Source: ANN
____
Danica Davidson is the author of the popular Manga Art for Beginners book, co-created with artist Melanie Westin. She has also written the sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the unique manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Explore her other works at www.danicadavidson.com.