Japan Rallies to Protect Manga and Anime, Presses OpenAI on Copyright, and Aims to Lead AI Regulation
Japan stakes its claim to rulemaking leadership, aiming to set the standards others will follow.
OpenAI launched Sora 2 and it blew up fast, especially with people cranking out clips of their favorite anime characters. Japan is not thrilled. The government just asked OpenAI to stop Sora 2 from generating videos that step on Japanese copyrights.
What Japan is asking for
Minoru Kiuchi, Japan's minister in charge of intellectual property and AI strategy, says the government has formally requested that OpenAI block Sora 2 outputs that infringe on Japanese works. He also made it clear this is not just a niche concern — anime and manga are major cultural exports for the country.
"Manga and anime are irreplaceable treasures" in Japanese culture, and key exports worldwide.
Japan's digital minister, Masaaki Taira, added that the government wants OpenAI to voluntarily comply and stop the copyright violations they are flagging.
Another lawmaker weighs in
Parliament member Akihisa Shiozaki chimed in on social media, arguing that Japan should help set the rules on how AI handles copyrighted content, precisely because the country's creative industries carry so much global weight — anime, games, music, the whole lot.
"Japan bears a responsibility to take the lead on making rules (related to AI and copyright infringement), precisely because we are a country that has captivated the world with the creative power of anime, games, and music."
OpenAI's stance so far
Before Sora 2 launched, OpenAI said it had reached out to talent agencies and movie studios to offer an opt-out from having their copyrighted material used to train its models. What is not clear: whether any Japanese creators or rights holders were actually part of that outreach.
Why this is a big deal
Generative video is becoming mainstream, fast. Watching a government with real leverage step in and press the copyright question matters, especially when we are talking about industries built by people who grind to meet deadlines — mangaka in particular are known for brutal schedules and personal sacrifices to keep their stories going. That work deserves to be treated with respect in the AI era, not brushed aside as training fodder or fodder for clone videos.
What to watch next
OpenAI has not said how it will respond to Japan's request. Whether this turns into concrete restrictions, a new policy, or a shrug is the next chapter.