Creating
indie video games in Japan is becoming an obstacle course that goes far beyond
simple programming. Japanese developer Mousou no Mayu has just
starred in a real bureaucratic nightmare after his financial institution, Daishi
Hokuetsu Bank, decided to arbitrarily withhold all the money he generated
after launching his latest project on the Steam store. What is
truly illogical about this situation is that the game in question was
specifically adapted and edited to comply with all international regulations
for content suitable for all audiences.
A
financial blockade without logical foundations
The central
story revolves around the title Hustle Battle: Card Gamers.
Originally, this work debuted with an exclusive rating for adults on Asian
platforms, but to ensure its arrival in the Western market through the
publisher Kagura Games, the creator removed any trace of explicit
content. Despite having followed the rules to the letter, the developer
received a strange call from the bank's staff questioning whether that
millionaire income came from "a game with girls". After going in
person to the branch to demand a clear explanation, the executives confirmed that
they would not process any international transfers, claiming that, under their
own internal judgment, the female characters had the visual appearance of
minors.
本日、改めて銀行へ確認を行ってまいりました。⁰その結果、やはりSteam版の売上については受け入れ不可との回答を受けました。⁰また、国内向けの売上（DLsite、FANZA等）についても、今後の判断次第では入金をお断りする可能性があるとのことです。
— 妄想の繭 (@tell_cocoon) May 13, 2026
嘘でしょ……
↓ https://t.co/7JhM5WzWe6
Panic
grips independent creators
The
conflict escalated to even more serious levels when the financial institution
warned that, in the near future, they could also block the income from its
sales in national territory. Faced with this direct threat to his economic
livelihood, the creator was forced to request a grace period to be able to open
an account in another institution that would allow him to receive the fruit of
his hard work. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Just last month,
another independent development team suffered exactly the same economic
asphyxiation under the guise of undisclosed risks, demonstrating that Japanese
banks are using their own yardstick to decide who can collect their
salary.
Analysts
and former Japanese officials have begun to point out that this practice of
bank censorship destroys the commercial viability of artists who depend on the
foreign market for survival. Knowing that international distribution platforms
are already strict enough with what they allow to sell
