The Japanese government has called Japanese intellectual property such as anime and games 'irreplaceable treasures' and officially requested OpenAI not to infringe on copyrights, which has become a hot topic overseas.

Sora 2 , a video generation AI released by OpenAI on October 1, 2025, has been generating a large number of videos containing copyrighted content, such as Japanese games and anime, which has become a hot topic overseas. In response to this situation, the Japanese government has requested OpenAI to 'avoid any actions that could constitute copyright infringement.'

Japan Asks OpenAI To Stop Sora 2 From Infringing on 'Irreplaceable Treasures' Anime and Manga - Slashdot
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/25/10/15/133206/japan-asks-openai-to-stop-sora-2-from-infringing-on-irreplaceable-treasures-anime-and-manga

Japan wants OpenAI to stop ripping off manga and anime | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/799938/japan-government-openai-sora

Japan asks OpenAI not to infringe on 'irreplaceable' manga and anime content
https://www.engadget.com/ai/japan-asks-openai-not-to-infringe-on-irreplaceable-manga-and-anime-content-120008580.html?guccounter=1

Japan sends warning to OpenAI over Sora 2 anime videos - Dexerto
https://www.dexerto.com/anime/japan-sends-warning-to-openai-over-sora-2-anime-videos-3267992/

The problem was that Japanese anime characters such as 'Jujutsu Kaisen,' 'Demon Slayer: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,' 'Dragon Ball,' and 'Bocchi the Rock,' as well as game characters such as Pikachu and Mario, were generated as is by OpenAI's Sora 2. In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised to improve the situation, and suggested that revenue be distributed to rights holders, particularly with regard to Japanese content.

CEO Sam Altman promises to improve the situation where character videos are being created using the video generation AI 'Sora 2,' especially referring to Japanese content and suggesting revenue distribution to rights holders - GIGAZINE

At a press conference held on October 10, 2025, Minister of State for Special Missions of the Cabinet Office, Minoru Kiuchi, was asked about his views on the situation where Sora 2 could generate videos featuring Japanese anime and game characters without permission. The relevant Q&A can be viewed from around 13 minutes and 30 seconds into the video available on the following page.

Minister Kiuchi's press conference (October 10, 2025) | Government Public Relations Online
https://www.gov-online.go.jp/press_conferences/minister_of_state/202510/video-303104.html

In response to the question, Minister Kiuchi said, 'I am aware that there are concerns raised about copyright infringement regarding Sora 2,' and added, 'Anime and manga continue to fascinate people around the world and are irreplaceable treasures that our country is proud of. The government will take into consideration the concerns and respond appropriately.'

Furthermore, the Minister stated, 'The government has requested OpenAI not to engage in any acts that could constitute copyright infringement,' revealing that the Intellectual Property Strategy Promotion Office of the Cabinet Office made the request directly.

It is unclear when this request was made, but according to a blog post by LDP lawmaker Akihisa Shiozaki, he contacted various parties immediately after the release of Sora 2, and OpenAI contacted him just before CEO Altman made his statement. Shiozaki also suggested that if the situation worsens, the government may request the disclosure of Sora 2's specifications, filtering methods, and moderation process under Article 16 of the Act on Promotion of Research, Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-Related Technology (AI Promotion Act).

The provisions of Article 16 of the AI Promotion Act are as follows:

(Research, etc.)
Article 16 The State shall collect information on trends in research, development, and utilization of artificial intelligence-related technology both domestically and internationally, analyze cases in which the rights and interests of citizens have been infringed as a result of research, development, or utilization of artificial intelligence-related technology for improper purposes or inappropriate methods, and consider measures based on the results of such analysis and research that contribute to the promotion of research, development, and utilization of artificial intelligence-related technology, and shall take any other necessary measures, including providing guidance, advice, and information to research and development institutions, utilization businesses, and other persons, based on the results of such analysis and research and development.

Furthermore, at a press conference held on October 7th, Digital Minister Masaaki Taira commented on the fact that Japanese characters can be generated arbitrarily, saying, 'I think that OpenAI will need to adjust the Sora 2 generation AI so that it conforms to Japanese regulations.'

Minister Taira press conference (October 7, 2020) - YouTube


The Verge, an IT news site, said, 'This is a new blow to OpenAI, which has been facing backlash after abolishing its opt-out policy for copyright holders in Sora,' and assessed that Japanese art such as anime and manga is a particularly sensitive issue.

On the online message board site Reddit, threads have been set up in sections such as r/Games , r/technology , r/OpenAI , and r/ArtistHate about foreign media articles reporting on the incident, with many users posting comments.

On Reddit, some people criticized OpenAI, saying things like, ' Since the entire business model of generative AI relies on stealing human creativity, there's almost no chance that OpenAI will comply with this request, ' and 'It's ridiculous that all these AI companies are saying, 'If we don't comply with the law, our business model won't work.' It's as if people would accept that as an excuse for other behavior. ' Others, however, said, ' Japan is one of the few countries in the world that has legalized the use of copyrighted works for AI training. Did they not expect this outcome? ' and ' Isn't this one of the worst claims to come out of Japan? Because Japan is one of the few countries where you can freely draw copyrighted characters in doujinshi and make as much money from them as you want. If there's any country in the world where it's easy to use its art for AI training, it's Japan .'