Toranoanaone of the leading doujinshi and otaku merchandise stores in Japan, recently announced the suspension of VISA and MasterCard financial services for its online store. This drastic change seriously impacts users' ability to purchase products using these cards, significantly reducing distributor sales volume and therefore royalties for authors and content creators.

Toranoana's official statement mentions that, From now on, purchases via VISA and MasterCard will no longer be available on your platform.While other payment options, such as JCB, continue to be accepted, the removal of these two credit card giants significantly limits the ways customers can make purchases.

This movement of VISA and MasterCard It is part of a broader trend of large financial companies that, fearing a bad public image, They decide to withdraw their services from sectors considered controversial, such as doujinshi and hentai. Pressure from these companies to avoid associations with content that could be considered controversial is reshaping the commerce landscape in this niche market.

The situation raises serious questions about the future of the doujinshi and hentai industry. Affected companies should look for alternatives to recover their sales volume, such as exploring new payment methods or establishing partnerships with international payment platforms that do not impose similar restrictions. They could also consider strategies to diversify their income and reduce dependence on traditional financial services.

• «Will it really stop being used after the 13th? Isn't that too early?».
• «The regulation of expression through credit cards is really frustrating».
• «Are Toranoana card regulations finally in place? I didn't think the international card companies' intervention would be so extreme.».
• «Finally, Toranoana also faces credit card restrictions, and just before Comiket».
• «Maybe I should get a JCB card».
• «Can't use a Visa in Toranoana? That's problematic!».
• «It's very inconvenient that VISA and MasterCard can't be used in Toranoana. I only use those two, so it looks like I'll have to use the Méli Card for a while.».
• «Credit card companies are like the leaders in regulating speech, it's really awful».
• «Toranoana no longer accepts card payments? This is worrying just before Comiket.».
• «Will Melonbooks also stop accepting VISA and MasterCard one day?».

Source: Hachima Kikou