Koichiro Ito

Koichiro Ito, (born. 1972), is a Japanese animation producer. According to an online interview in 2017, Ito has worked closely with the now internationally renown anime director Makoto Shinkai, at CoMix Wave, since 2003. In 2003, according to Ito, the studio was made up of "few staff" members, and was producing The Place Promised in Our Early Days. Ito has "been there, deep inside the creative process, for each one of Shinkai's films since Voices of a Distant Star". Most famously, he was producer for the The Garden Of Words and globally beloved recent blockbusters beginning with Your Name (2016, $358 million worldwide), followed by Weathering With You (2019, $193 million) and Suzume (2022, $323.3 million). Ito has discussed his role in Your Name, such as pushing for the film's now infamous title.

Fellow producer Kazuki Sunami has stated that "if Ito didn't join the company, The Place Promised in Our Early Days would never have been completed. [...] As an indie creator, [Makoto] Shinkai knew a lot about making anime, but not much about the industry side. Ito was able to serve as a mediator between Shinkai and the production staff."

After the commercial success of Your Name and subsequent productions, Ito began managing a large production company in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Koichiro Ito's Arrest

At 52 years old, Ito was arrested on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, for having asked for ("induced") and received nude selfies ("child pornography") from a 15-year-old female high school student in September 2021, for which he reportedly paid her 12,500 yen (around $80). This violated Japan’s Child Prostitution and Pornography Prohibition Act, and according to the Japanese media outlet Mainichi Shimbun, Ito nonchalantly confessed and stated, "I had a similar exchange with another person, so I can't remember if it was this girl or not." Ito was then investigated for prostitution offences, and later news reports have quoted Ito as saying to investigators, "I met at least 20 girls on social media and paid them to have sex." According to investigators, Ito is suspected of having known that a 17-year-old female high school student in Yokohama, was under 18 years old when he gave her ¥30,000 to participate in a sexual act at his home, which he filmed and photographed. Shinkai stated to Twitter:

I have seen the headlines about the arrest someone related to my work, and I am deeply shocked. First and foremost, my heartfelt apologies go out to the victims. Additionally, I apologize to everyone who loves and supports my work for causing them anxiety [...] While I believe that the value of the films will not be diminished by this incident, I understand it's only natural for people to be skeptical. It's all incredibly frustrating and sad."

We are unaware of information on Ito's potential sentencing or future work prospects.

Links

• Anime Planet profile for Koichiro Ito - Film Credits.