A woman in Japan has been arrested after allegedly placing more than 2,100 orders for manga-related products online and repeatedly canceling them, causing major losses for a comic book publisher.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Mayu Yoshida, a 32-year-old restaurant worker, was indicted on suspicion of obstructing a business through fraud.
Prosecutors allege that Yoshida used the online shopping site of manga publisher Shueisha Inc. between July 2024 and May 2025 to order merchandise related to popular manga series “One Piece” and “Naruto” more than 2,100 times without completing payment, repeatedly canceling the orders.
Investigators said Yoshida allegedly used 238 different accounts to place the orders. She reportedly delayed payments until the deadlines passed, causing orders to be automatically canceled, and also selected cash-on-delivery options before refusing to accept the packages upon arrival.
Japanese media reported that the total value of the canceled orders exceeded 4.3 billion yen ($27.2 million).
Yoshida has admitted to the allegations during police questioning, according to authorities.
She reportedly told investigators that her actions were driven by stress in her daily life.
"I generally like anime. Ordering the products gave me a sense of satisfying my desires," Yoshida was quoted as saying.
Shueisha said in a statement that the repeated cancellations caused significant financial damage, including temporary stock shortages, lost sales opportunities and additional costs related to delivery companies.
The company added that the incident disrupted its business operations by affecting product availability and logistics
