Japanese Manga Artist of ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Series Accused of Tax Evasion

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:16 JST, April 2, 2024

An artist connected with the popular manga series “The Apothecary Diaries” is being pursued by the Fukuoka Regional Taxation Bureau over allegations of tax evasion.

The bureau announced Monday that it had alerted the Fukuoka District Public Prosecutors Office with regards to manga artist Erika Ikeda, 36, of Minami Ward, Fukuoka. Ikeda allegedly failed to report income and thereby evaded payments of about ¥47 million in tax, the bureau said.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Ikeda works as a manga artist under the pen name Nekokurage. She does the art for the popular series “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto (The Apothecary Diaries)” in a monthly manga magazine.

The taxation bureau brought the charge against her on Feb. 29.

According to the bureau’s announcement, Ikeda earned about ¥260 million in manuscript fees and royalties from the publishing company over a three-year period through 2021. However, she did not submit income tax returns before the deadline and is suspected of evading about ¥47 million in income tax.

Ikeda spent part of the money from the alleged tax evasion for purposes such as purchasing real estate, the sources said.