Suzume and “your name.” Producer Kouichirou Itou was charged with violating the Child Pornography Prohibition Act after soliciting a minor.
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Kouichirou Itou, producer of some of the biggest anime films, including Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume, your name. (Your Name) and Weathering With You, were arrested on suspicion of violating the Child Pornography Prohibition Act.
Several Japanese media, including NHK, reported Itou was arrested on February 21, 2024, after soliciting nude photos from a female high school student and saving them on his phone. According to Wakayama Prefectural Police, Itou met the 15-year-old child in September 2021 via social media and asked her to take nude photos when he knew he was a minor. It was reported that Itou’s crimes came to light during the investigation of another child prostitution case. Itou generally admitted to the crime and the producer admitted: “I have received images from underage women several times before, but I can’t remember who it belonged to this time. ” Police are currently investigating whether there are any other victims.
Itou began producing films at the age of 28, moving to Comix Wave Films – the animation studio behind several of Makoto Shinkai’s works – some time later. He met the famous director right when he was releasing Voices of a Distant Star. Itou recounted his working relationship with Shinkai in a 2011 interview, characterized by trying to balance expanding their customer base while letting Shinkai’s competent intentions shine through and assigned tasks that Shinkai would normally undertake, such as drawing, cinematography, and art direction.
In addition to the previously mentioned films, Itou also produced The Place Promised in Our Early Days, Dareka no Manazashi and Shinkai’s short film The Garden of Words. He is also considered influential in the success of Children Who Chase Lost Voices, having convinced executive producer Noritaka Kawaguchi to extend the film’s runtime. Itou also produced the live-action film Musicophilia and the anime series Kakurenbo.
Source: NHK, Mainichi Shimbun
