Japanese adult game developers are unable to receive payments from Steam due to banking policies
In Japan, developers of adult games have encountered issues receiving Steam payouts. According to Japanese parliament member Taro Yamada (山田太郎), local banks have started blocking their money transfers from Valve’s platform.
Sakura Hime
Moreover, Yamada claims that Japanese banks are prohibiting studios specializing in such games from opening accounts with them.
Yamada wrote on X that he received several inquiries on this topic. He reached out to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Financial Services Agency, which confirmed the situation with blocked payments.
As reported by GameSpark, the Financial Services Agency of Japan recently held hearings where bank representatives explained their stance. They stated that the decision to block Steam payments is complex and not solely because developers create adult games. Primarily, banks were guided by laws on preventing the transfer of funds obtained through criminal means and on foreign exchange and external trade.
In Yamada’s view, the banks are acting incorrectly since the developers are not violating the mentioned laws. However, the complexity might stem from the fact that Steam is an American, not a Japanese platform, and uses foreign payment systems. The parliamentarian is currently discussing the issue with Japanese authorities.