“Your Name.” producer arrested for violation of child pornography laws

Japanese police arrested Koichiro Ito (52) in Shibuya, Tokyo on February 21 on suspicion of violating child prostitution and child pornography laws. Ito had allegedly coerced a high school girl he met via social media into sending him naked photographs of herself, and police are investigating the possibility of other victims (Source: Mainichi Shimbun). 

Ito’s crime took place in September 2021, when he instructed a female first-year high school student (15 years old at the time) to take a naked selfie and send it to him while aware that she was underaged. His involvement apparently surfaced during the investigation of another child prostitution case. 

Ito has reportedly admitted to the charges, even stating that he had had similar exchanges with another individual and “cannot remember if it was this girl or not.” 

Police investigators have revealed that the suspect is “the” Ito Koichiro, who is credited as the producer of Makoto Shinkai’s award-winning animated film Your Name. (2016), as well as titles well-known such as Suzume, Garden of Words and Weathering With You.