The Japanese anime industry has long faced criticism over low wages, excessive overtime and difficult working conditions, particularly for young animators and production staff. However, Motoki Tanaka, founder and CEO of Bibury Animation Studios, believes the situation is beginning to change.
Tanaka, also known as Tensho, recently discussed the industry’s working environment while addressing aspiring anime creators on X. According to Tanaka, animators and production coordinators have seen meaningful improvements in recent years, including better pay, more reliable salary payments, and fewer overnight work sessions.
Most notably, Tanaka argued that the era when low wages and excessive overtime were simply accepted as part of working in anime is coming to an end.
Motoki Tanaka Says Anime Working Conditions Are Improving
Tanaka said that “the era when low pay was the norm and overtime was a given in the anime industry is over.” His comments point to improvements in several areas of anime production, although he acknowledged that the industry has not completely eliminated its longstanding problems.
He also suggested that the perception surrounding anime careers is changing. Working in animation was once sometimes viewed as embarrassing or merely “a job for otaku,” but Tanaka believes the industry’s growing cultural importance in Japan has helped make it a profession creators can take pride in.
At the same time, he cautioned that anime production remains difficult. Some workers still face low or delayed payments and overtime, meaning conditions can vary considerably between studios, positions and employment arrangements.
Tanaka’s optimistic assessment comes after years of reports highlighting the financial difficulties faced by Japanese animators. In 2024, one animator publicly revealed that their first month’s earnings totaled only 19,844 yen, roughly $132 at the time.
The broader concerns have also attracted attention from international human-rights organizations. A United Nations working group previously reported concerns about excessively long working hours and unfair subcontracting relationships in Japan’s animation sector, including contracts that did not adequately protect creators’ intellectual property rights.
Against that background, Tanaka’s comments provide a more positive perspective from someone currently running an anime studio. His assessment does not mean the industry’s labor problems have disappeared, but it suggests that at least some studios are moving toward better pay and healthier production environments.
For aspiring animators, that shift could make a career in Japanese animation increasingly sustainable while the industry continues expanding globally.
