{"rewrite":{"id":"r_dd3f760059cc6f0ae3fb1532","clusterId":"c_e93e5e5a4d98bb9b8dd7760c","slug":"cedec-2026-session-maps-cultural-appropriation-risks-for-game-developers","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"CEDEC 2026 Session Maps Cultural Appropriation Risks for Game Developers","summary":"At CEDEC 2026, held July 22 to 24 at Pacifico Yokohama North, lawyer Arata Nomoto of City Yuwa Law Office delivered a lecture titled \"Considering the Management of Cultural Appropriation Risks: What You Can Do to Avoid Unexpected Trouble.\" Nomoto defined cultural appropriation as the use of something related to one culture by a person belonging to another, noting it is not a legal term. He cited examples including Kim Kardashian's underwear brand \"Kimono,\" which drew protests and was renamed, and the anime \"Demon Slayer\" (Kimetsu no Yaiba), where the Islamic call to prayer in background music led to shipping suspensions and a product recall. He also mentioned \"Ghost of Tsushima\" and Atlus's \"Shin Megami Tensei V,\" the latter criticized by Hindu communities for depicting deities as evil. Nomoto explained that Japan has no general law prohibiting imitation of cultural expressions not covered by intellectual property, while countries like Mexico, Panama, Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana, Taiwan, Australia, and the United States have protective laws. He urged developers to confirm inspirations, self-check understanding of referenced cultures, and seek specialist opinions.","whyItMatters":"Nomoto stressed that Japanese creators often misjudge how foreign cultures perceive the use of their own cultural expressions, a gap that can turn a creative choice into a reputational and financial crisis even when no domestic law is broken.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eNomoto opened with a case the summary skipped: American singer Katy Perry wore a Japanese-style stage costume, drew criticism for cultural appropriation, and later issued an explanation. He also noted that problems tend to surface when the majority uses the culture or language of minorities, when a social, economic, or political power imbalance exists between the two sides, or when the use is based on prejudice or discrimination against minorities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe stressed that borrowing from other cultures is not inherently wrong. Every country\u0026#39;s expressions developed by taking inspiration from existing ones, and the law protects that under freedom of expression, though copyright law sets limits. The term \u0026#34;cultural appropriation,\u0026#34; he said, has become a convenient keyword used to describe a range of problems, including the loss of an ethnic group\u0026#39;s uniqueness, the fact that users of a culture profit while its creators do not, errors from superficial imitation, and ties to discrimination against other cultural spheres.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn Japan\u0026#39;s legal position, Nomoto noted the Ainu Policy Promotion Act protects Ainu culture in Hokkaido but establishes no prohibitions or legal restrictions, and court precedents do not yet allow directly banning the use of indigenous cultural expressions. He also cited a 2025 case where Adidas sandals were criticized for resembling Mexican folk crafts, leading to an apology, and he used it to show how hard it can be to recognize a region-specific folk craft on sight.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a self-check guideline, he pointed developers to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Fashion Law Guidebook,\u0026#34; which encourages researching historical backgrounds and social meanings. He closed with three risk measures: confirm where multicultural expressions appear in a game, stay careful with sensitive topics like traditional culture, history, and religion, and check the laws of target countries when legal risk arises.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"At CEDEC 2026, a lawyer told game devs that Japan has no law against imitating cultural expressions, while Mexico requires ministry consultation and community rights for traditional designs. The gap between domestic freedom and overseas risk is wide.","twitterPost":"Kim Kardashian's \"Kimono\" brand, Demon Slayer's Adhan recall, Shin Megami Tensei V's Hindu deity backlash: a CEDEC 2026 talk used all three to show why cultural appropriation risk is a production-phase issue, not a PR afterthought.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"A CEDEC 2026 lecture by lawyer Arata Nomoto walked game developers through cultural appropriation risks, from Kim Kardashian's renamed brand to Demon Slayer's product recall. Nomoto contrasted Japan's lack of specific laws with protective statutes in Mexico, Kenya, and elsewhere, and urged creators to self-check and seek specialist review.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Inside\",\"url\":\"https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2026/08/04/185724.html\",\"title\":\"Game Developers Should Know the Risks and Countermeasures of \\\"Cultural Appropriation\\\" - From Kim Kardashian to \\\"Demon Slayer\\\" [CEDEC 2026]\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/08/05/27618.html\",\"title\":\"Game Developers Should Know the Risks and Countermeasures of \\\"Cultural Appropriation\\\" - From Kim Kardashian to \\\"Demon Slayer\\\" [CEDEC 2026]\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":16640,"outputTokens":1491,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1785927932,"createdAt":"2026-08-05T11:02:01.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-05T11:02:23.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-05T11:02:01.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_e93e5e5a4d98bb9b8dd7760c","canonicalTitle":"ゲーム開発者が知るべき「文化盗用」リスクと対策 ―キム・カーダシアンから『鬼滅の刃』まで【CEDEC2026】","representativeArticleId":"a_ebe1284b7830eec34a04bc4b","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":1,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"野本新\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"industry\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-04T08:00:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-04T22:00:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-05T11:02:23.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/08/05/27618.html","title":"ゲーム開発者が知るべき「文化盗用」リスクと対策 ―キム・カーダシアンから『鬼滅の刃』まで【CEDEC2026】"},{"source":"Inside","url":"https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2026/08/04/185724.html","title":"ゲーム開発者が知るべき「文化盗用」リスクと対策 ―キム・カーダシアンから『鬼滅の刃』まで【CEDEC2026】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["野本新"],"type":"news","domain":"industry","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["CEDEC 2026 ran from July 22 to 24, 2026, at Pacifico Yokohama North.","Arata Nomoto of City Yuwa Law Office gave the lecture \"Considering the Management of Cultural Appropriation Risks\" at CEDEC 2026.","Kim Kardashian renamed her underwear brand \"Kimono\" after protests over cultural appropriation.","The anime \"Demon Slayer\" (Kimetsu no Yaiba) faced shipping suspensions and a recall after the Islamic call to prayer in background music drew criticism.","Mexico, Panama, Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana, Taiwan, Australia, and the United States have laws protecting indigenous cultural expressions."]}