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The sweatshop conditions in the Japanese animation industry are alarming: animators claim that labor issues are not unfounded.
The Japanese animation industry has long been criticized for its low wages and high-pressure working environment. Recently, an organization composed of industry practitioners — the Japanese Anime Film Culture Alliance (NAFCA) — released a detailed investigation report that once again confirms the complaints of those in the profession.
This data indicates that the average working hours in the industry have reached 200 hours per month, with some exceeding 300 hours.
A summary of the survey results: The truth behind the hard work in the animation industry.
According to this survey report, the survey collected questionnaire data voluntarily submitted by 323 animation industry professionals. The survey ran from December 4, 2023, to January 31, 2024, covering multiple aspects including working hours, salaries, promotion channels, workplace harassment, and skills transfer.
Here are some core findings regarding working hours and salaries:
The cold reality of working hours and salary
The average monthly working hours for personnel engaged in animation work reaches 219 hours, with a median of 225 hours, and a maximum value as high as 336 hours. Based on hourly wages, about 14% of people earn between 600 yen and 800 yen, with a median income of 1111 yen.
Observation on Gender Equality and Salary Levels
In general companies, there are usually significant gender differences in labor time and income. However, in the animation industry, this gap is relatively small, reflecting the industry’s progress in gender equality.
Comparison of Employment Forms
The survey found that, compared to freelancers, company employees work longer hours. Although the median income in companies is higher, the income ceiling for freelancers far exceeds that of company employees.
Skills Transfer Crisis
The transmission of knowledge in the animation industry experiences a gap at the age of 30, indicating a lack of experience and skills transfer.
Detailed survey data: An in-depth analysis of the daily work life of animation practitioners
Daily working hours: Only 3.3% of respondents reported working less than 4 hours a day, while over 80% of respondents reported working more than 8 hours daily, with those working over 10 hours making up 30.4%.
Days off: Nearly half of the workers take no more than 6 days off each month, which means they only have 1 to 2 days of rest per week.
Monthly income situation: 26.0% of animators have a monthly income between 100,000 and 200,000 yen, and less than 6% of workers earn more than 500,000 yen.
The phenomenon of part-time jobs is common: about 22.3% of practitioners are currently engaged in part-time work, while 36.3% have worked part-time in the past.
Views on the future of the industry: only 26.3% of respondents indicated they would definitely stay in the animation industry, while 30.0% are taking a wait-and-see approach or no longer plan to remain in this field.
Facing the Future: Can the Animation Industry Break Free from the Low Salary Dilemma?
When will the situation of low salaries and high pressure finally improve? This remains an unresolved question. Although animation has become an important part of Japan’s cultural export, if improvement measures are inadequate, talent loss may become a significant obstacle to its development. How to improve the working conditions of animation professionals while maintaining high-quality output will directly impact the sustainable development of the industry.
