Kyoto police arrest first uploader of Nyaa anime torrent site

On July 28, Kyoto Prefectural Police detained a 56‑year‑old resident of Sagamihara, Kanagawa, suspected of being the original uploader of copyrighted material to the Nyaa torrent index. The individual is accused of posting the NHK drama “Midnight Taxi” on Nyaa, which then allowed other users to download and share the file. Japanese anti‑piracy organization CODA described the suspect as the “first uploader,” a role it says has a disproportionate impact on illegal distribution.

CODA highlighted that Nyaa receives roughly 30 million visits each month, about half from Japan, and called the arrest a “landmark case” in its ongoing crackdown on online piracy. The investigation began in 2021 under the government‑backed Cross‑Border Enforcement Project, with a tool from the Japan Hacker Association helping identify the uploader. Three other men, aged in their 40s‑60s, were referred to prosecutors for downloading and viewing the content but were not arrested.

The case follows earlier actions against operators of the HiAnime streaming network and underscores efforts by Japanese authorities to protect the anime and gaming industries, which the government aims to expand to ¥20 trillion by 2033.