Japan FSA: Adult Game Sales Alone Should Not Cause Debanking

The Japan Financial Services Agency has stated that financial institutions should not deny banking services to developers solely because they sell adult games. This position was communicated during a meeting facilitated by politician Zenko Kurishita, who brought together affected creators and agency officials on October 28. The discussion addressed the ongoing issue of debanking, where independent studios face blocked transactions from overseas platforms like Steam.

Despite these assurances, the agency does not currently view debanking as a widespread problem requiring immediate regulatory intervention. Officials noted that their consultation office received only one inquiry regarding such cases in the past year. While the FSA emphasized that blanket rejections based on content type are inappropriate, it indicated that further action might be considered if complaint volumes increase significantly. Creators continue to struggle with opaque bank decisions and tax liabilities on inaccessible income.