Is it more profitable to be a hentai artist than a salaried worker in Japan?

Recently, a comment from a hentai artist went viral on Japanese internet. The artist shared a screenshot showing the sale of 16,000 digital copies of his work, revealing earnings of over 6 million yen. This raised the question: is it more profitable to be a hentai artist than a salaried worker in Japan?

Is it more profitable to be a hentai artist than a salaried worker in Japan?

Hentai artist reveals surprising profits

The artist stated that, even at his level, by drawing just a few illustrations, he managed to earn several million yen. “Moreover, as sales continue, the money keeps coming in indefinitely. It’s better to be an illustrator than to work as a salaried employee,” he said.

Life as a Salaried Worker in Japan

So, what’s life like for a salaried worker in Japan? According to Google, the minimum wage in Japan varies depending on the prefecture, province, shift, and gender of the worker. In 2024, the hourly minimum wage ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 yen, which translates to about 150,000 yen per month.

However, the average salary in Japan in 2024 is around 300,000 yen per month after taxes. In May 2024, the average nominal monthly salary for full-time workers increased by 2.1% to 378,803 yen, while part-time workers saw a 3.2% increase in their monthly wages to 108,511 yen.

Reactions to the Artist’s Claim

The artist’s claim that being an erotic artist is more profitable than being a salaried worker sparked various reactions online:

• “I once ranked on Pixiv, but the type of art I wanted to create was different from what was popular. I stopped chasing popularity and felt relieved.”
• “That’s cool. I’ve never drawn illustrations, but I have confidence in my imagination. I wonder if it would work if I let an AI draw?”
• “Clearly, this is above-average talent, right?”
• “I don’t think even 1% of authors manage to sell 10,000 copies.”
• “Taxes must be tough. Drawing only hentai probably won’t allow for many tax deductions.”
• “It looks like there’s an oversupply and intense competition. Earning money as a newcomer must be tough now.”
• “You don’t earn anything with hentai manga, but some artists use well-known manga like Kairakuten as a stepping stone and make a lot of money with doujin CG collections.”
• “It’s true that if you draw well, you can earn money easily, but reaching that level of ‘drawing well’ is extremely difficult.”

Erotic art has gained significant prominence recently and has proven to be quite profitable. So much so that many artists prefer working with doujinshi rather than having a manga series serialized in giants like Jump.

via otakomu