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Even though the manga- and anime-inspired merch didn't explicitly say Kimetsu no Yaiba
The president of a Yokohama-based wholesaler was arrested for allegedly violating Japan’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act by selling millions of dollars worth of knockoff Demon Slayer merchandise.
Demon Slayer is hugely popular in its native Japan. In 2020, it was the country’s biggest-selling manga and continued to do brisk business this year. The anime feature film was also a smash hit, and the movie’s home release broke sales records in Japan. The country is gaga for Demon Slayer. And when something becomes massively popular, unscrupulous types move in to make a quick yen.
NHK reports that 52-year-old Yuki Saito, president of wholesale operation Red Spice, was arrested along with her husband and two other accomplices. All four have denied any wrongdoing.
At the company’s warehouse in Aichi Prefecture, police confiscated 37,000 knockoff goods believed to have been made in China. The goods were confiscated in April, and the Japanese police made arrests this week.
Read the full article on Kotaku
