The past few years have been tough for Japanese video game creators who make adult-oriented content, as Japanese banks are blocking transfers of proceeds, and criteria for hosting NSFW games or platforms like Steam are becoming increasingly strict due to restrictions imposed by payment processors. In a recent case, Mai Itsuki of video game development circle Ren took to X to announce that all overseas transactions related to revenue from the global versions of their works had been suspended by Resona Bank due to “certain risks” that the bank couldn’t disclose.
Ren is an indie development circle mainly focusing on producing and publishing adult-oriented games, with one of their most recent titles being the Cthulhu mythos-inspired erotic RPG Night of the Black Goat.
According to Itsuki, the overseas publisher for Ren’s games is a company registered in Taiwan. Furthermore, being an individual business-owner, Itsuki is legally registered with the tax office, and says they provided all necessary documents to their bank to prove that their work is legal.
However, in March this year, the developer was suddenly contacted by Resona and told that the payments could no longer be processed. Despite showcasing proof of their works being sold for two years domestically and one year in the US under the same strict conditions as in Japan (including mosaic censorship), with no legal issues, the bank told them once again that they weren’t able to process the receipt.
“I follow the law, settle my taxes and earn enough money to support myself through my creative work, so what kind of risk would that be for the bank?”
To Itsuki’s inquiry about the reason why the bank decided to halt the processing of their payments, Resona responded that “the decision […] is a result of a case-by-case review based on the details, methods and background of the transaction.” However, the bank refused to disclose the specific criteria of the review. Apparently, Itsuki was told that the transactions “could pose certain risks,” though again, the institution didn’t explain the details.
After consulting with a lawyer, the developer made the difficult decision to pursue a different bank in the future, as continuing negotiations with Resona could end up placing a significant financial burden on them due to legal fees, as well as a physical and mental burden as the developer is currently undergoing cancer treatment. Itsuki explains that establishing an international transaction account is a rather challenging process for a self-owned business, and that it may become even more difficult as Japanese banks in general shift towards stricter policies. They’re currently seeking advice from fellow developers who have encountered similar problems.
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