Danica Davidson
December 4, 2024 
There’s been a controversy brewing over some Western credit card companies and their agencies when it comes to manga retailers that sell adult titles. Some of these credit cards will not purchase from the retailers, and Visa has publicly admitted that they’re one of them.
This happened last week, when Head of Product Asia Pacific at Visa Cietan Kitney was at a briefing about Visa and its work in Osaka, unrelated to the controversy. However, the briefing included a Q&A session, and one person asked about credit card companies unwilling to do business with some Japanese retailers.
Kitney stressed that Visa desires to be widely available and help people buy legal and legitimate purchases. However, they might deny certain purchases (in this case, legal ones) to “protect the brand.” He said that both global and local policies can go into effect when making the decisions of what people can and can’t purchase with Visa.
Japanese retailers that have been impacted by these policies include Manga Library Z, Melonbooks and Toranoana, DLSite, Fantia, Fanza, and Nico Nico, to name a few. Some retailers have adjusted what manga they sell in order not to lose access to the credit cards. Others have stuck with their titles and been forced to shutter. Some, like Manga Library Z, are contemplating possible ways to get around the situation.
Mastercard is another company that is refusing to do sales with some Japanese retailers, depending on the content sold there.
Ken Akamatsu, who is a mangaka, politician and the founder of Manga Library Z, commented, “The next request from card brands [after removing explicit material] could be to ban novels or violent scenes altogether. Some say Japan should comply with the global standards. … But if Japanese content becomes too globalized and loses its unique charm, it will also lose its appeal and demand from overseas.”
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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