japanese lawmakers on the AI-generated, studio ghibli-style images

Copyright infringement on AI-generated, Studio Ghibli images

Japanese lawmakers have discussed whether or not the AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style images infringe copyright. In a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee that took place on April 16th, 2025, in Japan, lawmakers brought up and weighed in on the issue of copyright compliance when it comes to these AI-generated photos. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology Strategy Officer Nakahara Hirohiko says that the final decision of whether these users have violated copyright infringement depends on the country’s courts, reports state.

The news about the AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style images occurred as soon as OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o revealed its then-recent features. The AI organization describes the model as capable of precise, accurate, photorealistic outputs. As an example, founder Sam Altman transforms his X profile picture into a Studio Ghibli-style photo, prompting X users to do the same. Soon, several accounts follow, making AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style images from pictures of themselves and even memes. So far, the strategy officer says that it’s the Japanese courts that hold the final decision on whether or not the Studio Ghibli-style images infringe copyright laws.

Chihiro still | all images © Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, unless stated otherwise

merely similar does not violate the copyright laws?

In the meeting, strategy officer Nakahara Hirohiko adds that if the style or idea of the AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style images is ‘merely similar,’ then it is not violating or infringing any copyright laws. He says that the copyright laws in Japan do not protect styles and ideas by themselves or that aren’t considered creative expressions. It means that ‘general ideas,’ such as asking OpenAI’s GPT for AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style images, may not enjoy copyright-protection laws. What the strategy officer argues is that the action could constitute copyright infringement if the content generated by AI is ‘found’ to be similar to or dependent on existing works.

These AI-generated, Studio Ghibli-style images, however, are similar to and dependent on the production’s very own imagery and animation approach, given that they’re ‘styled’ as such. During the cabinet committee, the Japanese politician of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Masato Imai, counters that once these photos are recognized as Studio Ghibli-style, then they already violate copyright infringement laws. The daily Sankei Shimbun report also states that it’s the politician who brought up the issue to the committee in the first place, following the trend and the current Japanese legal scope that covers and concerns the issue.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) still