The victim in the Kazuaki Kurita case says she regrets the fallout affecting unrelated manga creators and clarifies remarks from a recent interview.
The victim in the sexual abuse case involving Shogakukan's Manga One writer Kazuki Kurita has released a public statement following a ruling by the Sapporo District Court on the case.
In the ruling released on 20 February, 2026, Kurita, a teacher and author of Jojin Kamen, was ordered to pay the victim ¥11 million in damages.
The decision reignited controversy around Shogakukan and its manga platform Manga One and the sexual perpetrators they've rehired under new pen names. The message was shared through her legal representatives, Hiroko Otake and Yuko Kawabe of the Tokyo-Kyodo Law Office.
Victim explains why she filed the lawsuit and her stance on transparency and creative work
“I filed this lawsuit because I absolutely wanted to stop defenceless young students like me from continuing to suffer the same kind of abuse,” she wrote, adding that what she found most difficult following the verdict was that the teacher “refused to admit his wrongdoing or apologise, even after the verdict was announced.”
She said settlement discussions had previously been held with mediation from an editor at Shogakukan. During those talks, she requested that when the teacher’s manga series resumed, readers be given a factual explanation for the hiatus rather than false reasons such as illness or medical treatment. That proposal was not accepted, and no settlement was reached.
Later on, the victim shared that she was shocked to discover that the teacher had been allowed to continue working as a manga author under a different pen name. Despite this, the victim said she does not believe people with criminal records should automatically be barred from publishing creative work.
“I believe that even people with criminal records should be able to draw pictures and come up with stories, and I don't think it's necessarily wrong to give such people a platform to publish their work,” she wrote, explaining that her concern was simply that readers should have been given an honest explanation for the hiatus.
“However, I simply felt that the true reason for the hiatus should be honestly explained to the readers of the teacher's manga. I wanted the teacher to acknowledge his criminal behaviour, take adequate action, and promise not to do it again before moving on."
Victim clarifies remarks about Bunshun interview
The victim also addressed a recent interview published in the Japanese weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun. The article appeared under the headline “Victim Woman Makes Full Confession: ‘I Cannot Forgive the Sexual Assault Manga Artist and Shogakukan.’”
However, she said she had not been aware that the interview would be published under that title. She explained that when speaking with the reporter, she said she felt “helpless”, but did not say the phrase “I cannot forgive Shogakukan."
Urging restraint toward Shogakukan and Manga One creators amid backlash
In her message, she also addressed the wider fallout that has spread across the manga industry since the case resurfaced in public discussion.
“This incident has turned into an unforeseen uproar,” she wrote, adding that she felt regret that the controversy had “dragged into the hands of other manga artists and writers active on Manga One who have absolutely no connection to the perpetrating teacher.”
She added that she does not harbour strong anger toward the publisher and does not want the company to withdraw manga works or shut down Manga One.
“I particularly do not want the company to withdraw manga artists’ works, nor do I want them to eliminate Manga One,” she wrote, adding that the platform allows many creators to thrive and that she herself is also a fan of the publisher’s manga. She also urged people not to escalate criticism online toward either Shogakukan or Bunshun.
The case resurfaced last week after publisher Shogakukan admitted that their manga app, Manga One, had rehired manga writer Kazuaki Kurita, who was indicted in 2020 for sexually assaulting a minor, under the pseudonym Hajime Ichiro. Kurita returned in 2022 as the writer of Jojin Kamen, despite his earlier series, Daten Sakusen, being suspended following the case.
Shogakukan also recently admitted that Manga One rehired Tatsuya Matsuki, writer of Act-Age, who had previously been convicted of indecent assault in a separate case, under the pen name Yatsunami Itsuki for the series Seisou no Psychologist.
After these revelations, Manga One halted distribution of the affected series and issued public apologies, acknowledging failures in its hiring and verification processes, and prompting Shogakukan to launch a third-party investigation committee. The controversy resulted in widespread backlash from readers and creators, with several manga artists suspending or withdrawing their works while demanding accountability from the publisher.
Lawyers say the appeal will focus on holding school accountable
The victim's lawyers confirmed that the Sapporo District Court did not recognise the school’s responsibility in the case. As a result, an appeal has been filed, aiming to hold the school accountable alongside the teacher. Kurita is reportedly planning a separate appeal as well.
According to her legal team, the teacher began grooming the victim when she entered high school at fifteen, criticising her parents, isolating her, and gaining her trust before making sexual advances. Although the abuse occurred outside school grounds, the court noted that the power imbalance between teacher and student prevented her from refusing. The lawyers added that she may not have been the only victim, with reports indicating multiple students in higher grades were also targeted.