A new labor insurance program dedicated specifically to people working in anime production in Japan was recently launched, aiming to provide freelancers with protection against workplace injuries and illness while improving health standards across the notoriously grueling anime industry. During a press conference held on July 22 at Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, veteran anime director Sunao Katabuchi talked about the significance of this project and the risks anime production staff is faced with (source: Eiga Natalie).
The new insurance program, established by domestic freelancer association “Arts Workers Japan,” is intended to offer a “safety net” for freelance animators, directors, and other production staff who are not formally employed by a company by providing compensation from any ailments sustained while working.
Katabuchi, who has over 45 years of experience in the industry, commented, “I’ve seen many senior colleagues die in their 50s. While not necessarily a result of direct workplace accidents, I believe the work certainly created an accumulation of both physical and mental fatigue.” While noting that working conditions in the anime industry have improved at production companies, Katabuchi says the increasing number of freelancers in the sector has created a blind spot when it comes to workers’ health.
He also suggests that this is an important matter when it comes to preserving the future sustainability of anime. Given that veterans in their 50s and 60s make up the core of the current workforce, their eventual retirements will be followed by a further rise in freelancers, thus the need to provide such workers with the same improvements and sense of security enjoyed by salaried employees.
When asked about the potential of AI in relieving the burden carried by anime staff, Katabuchi said it would be ideal if AI could somehow contribute, but expressed the fear that its use could create the false belief that sophisticated content can be produced with minimal effort, thus causing production budgets to plummet. “We must continue to create works that demonstrate the enduring value of hand-drawn animation,” he says.
