Producer of Popular Anime Movie “Your Name” Referred to Prosecutors for Additional Suspected Violation of Child Prostitution Law; Company Owner Had Multiple Previous Child Sex Offense Allegations

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Wakayama Prefectural Police Headquarters

A producer of the popular anime movie “Your Name,” who had previously been indicted on suspected child prostitution and child pornography offenses, was referred to prosecutors on Wednesday for allegedly having paid an underage girl for sex, investigative sources said.

The company owner, 52, residing in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, was quoted as saying to investigators, “I met at least 20 girls on social media and paid them to have sex.”

According to investigators, the man is suspected of having known that a 17-year-old high school girl in Yokohama was under 18 years old in December when he gave her ¥30,000 for a sexual act at his home, and then took and saved film and photographs of the act.