Anime fans are no strangers to the harsh working conditions many animators endure, but a new survey shows the problem extends to other roles in the industry.
The survey, conducted by Kyoto News, found that a staggering 50% of workers across all categories in the anime industry work more than 225 hours per month, or more than 56 hours per week.
To put this in perspective, the average full-time worker in Japan works 163.5 hours per month, or about 41 hours per week, according to a 2023 survey by the Ministry of Health. international.
This means that workers in the anime industry are working significantly longer hours than the average Japanese employee. Survey data was collected from a total of 293 individuals, including 191 animators, 44 directors, 35 producers, and 23 voice actors.
Also read: Due to higher salaries, Japanese animators now prefer to work for China
These findings reveal a disturbing reality for those working in the anime industry. Excluding voice actors, 30.4% of those surveyed said they worked 10 or more hours a day, with the longest being a staggering 336 hours in a month, equivalent to 84 hours per week.
Working hours are long and tiring. The demanding work is really difficult for workers both physically and mentally. It also makes you wonder how the anime industry can continue to grow like this in the long run.
The passion for Anime makes workers work regardless of long hours
Despite the long hours and challenging working conditions, a surprising 71.8% of those surveyed expressed a desire to continue working in the anime industry.
However, the survey also sheds light on other worrying aspects of the industry. More than half of respondents (58.5%) said they have less than six days off per month on average, leaving little time to rest and recuperate.
Furthermore, 37.7% of workers said their monthly income after taxes and deductions was 200,000 yen ($1,300) or less, although the gender wage gap in the anime industry is said to be low. smaller than the general gap in Japan.
Also read: Which studio pays its animators the highest?
The survey also found that the majority of workers (77.6%) do not have another job to supplement their income, which may contribute to the financial stress they experience.
Scriptwriters and Finishers were found to have the lowest income, with more than 60% reporting a monthly take-home pay of less than 200,000 yen.
Workplace harassment also emerged as a serious problem in the anime industry, with 65.8% of respondents saying they had experienced it and an alarming 85.6% saying they had witness that.
The anime industry has long been famous for its challenging working conditions, especially for animators. Recently, popular studio MAPPA faced criticism for requiring its animators to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevented them from speaking out about their working conditions while they were working. still under contract.
Despite low wages and harsh conditions, many individuals continue to work in the anime industry due to their passion for the genre.
Source: Kyoto News