"Working 225 Hours for 1.8 Million Won but Still Want to Keep Working"…The Two Faces of Japan's Leading Industry

Kyodo News Releases Survey Results of Animation Workers
225 Hours Worked Monthly, 60 Hours More Than Regular Employees
Majority Earn Less Than 1.8 Million KRW After Tax Per Month
70% Experience Frequent Workplace Harassment Yet "Want to Keep Working"

The appearance of Akihabara, the center of the Japanese animation industry [Photo source=Pixabay]

There is a Japanese industry where a significant number of workers want to continue working despite long hours of intense labor and low wages. This is the animation industry, which represents Japan.

On the 16th, Kyodo News reported citing a survey by the Nippon Animation Film Culture Association (NAFCA) that "about half of the industry workers answered that they work more than 225 hours per month, showing longer working hours compared to other fields." This figure greatly exceeds the average of 163.5 hours for regular employees reported in the 2023 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey. NAFCA was established in April last year to improve working conditions in the industry.

The survey included responses from a total of 323 people: 191 animators, 44 directors, 35 production staff, and 23 voice actors. Excluding voice actors, whose work schedules differ within the industry, 30.4% reported working more than 10 hours a day, with the longest recorded working time being 336 hours per month. Regarding vacations, 58.5% had fewer than 6 days off per month on average.

Regarding income, 37.7% answered that their monthly income after taxes and deductions was 200,000 yen (1,300 USD, approximately 1.8 million KRW) or less, but the association stated that the gender wage gap was smaller than that reported across Japan. When asked if they had other jobs, 77.6% said no. By occupation, scriptwriters and those engaged in finishing work had the lowest income, with over 60% reporting monthly actual earnings below 200,000 yen.

The percentage of respondents who experienced workplace harassment was 65.8%, and 85.6% had witnessed it. However, despite long working hours and poor pay, 71.8% said they want to continue working in the animation industry.