Veteran illustrator and manga artist Hisashi Eguchi, a creative force since the late 1970s, is renowned for his extensive manga catalog, commercial work, album covers, and numerous illustration collections.
However, on October 3, Eguchi publicly confessed that a promotional visual he created for a LUMINE Ogikubo event had referenced a social media portrait without permission. This admission ignited a massive online backlash, with users quickly unearthing numerous other illustrations Eguchi had allegedly created for various companies and local governments using "unauthorized references" or by "tracing others' photos."
The controversy initially flared when Japanese writer and model Tama Kanai posted that her selfie appeared to have been traced by Eguchi for the "Chuo Line Culture Festival 2025" visual illustration. She expressed distress over the unauthorized use, drawing significant attention from netizens.
Kanai later clarified on X: "I only discovered my profile on a large billboard in Ogikubo after receiving an inquiry. Mr. Eguchi subsequently contacted me directly, and we reached an agreement, with credit and usage fees settled retroactively."
Eguchi himself later posted on X (a post now deleted) admitting the LUMINE Ogikubo promotional image was "drawn based on a perfect profile photo seen on Instagram," which he later confirmed belonged to Tama Kanai.
As the controversy intensified, netizens began unearthing numerous past commercial illustrations by Eguchi that appeared to have been directly referenced or traced from images found in fashion magazines, street photography, and even user-shared social media photos. This practice, it seems, has been ongoing for years.
One particularly notable example involved using a Levi's magazine fashion spread as a commercial illustration for Edwin.
These alleged instances of "tracing others' photos" quickly drew sharp criticism online, with comments ranging from "This casual production process is outrageous" to "It's unbelievable that a professional manga artist like Hisashi Eguchi would draw without authorization!"
As the "unauthorized tracing" allegations gained traction online, chain restaurant Denny's and eyewear brand Zoff, both of whom have collaborated with Eguchi, issued statements on social media. "Regarding past promotional campaign illustrations in collaboration with Mr. Hisashi Eguchi, we sincerely apologize for causing distress to the public and the models involved," their statements read. "We are currently clarifying the facts and will provide an update once confirmed."
This long-standing practice of referencing without proper authorization could significantly damage Eguchi's industry reputation and potentially lead to further licensing disputes.
via： togetter