Japan Arrests Man Accused of Uploading Pirated Anime to Nyaa
Kyoto Prefectural Police arrested a Sagamihara City resident on suspicion of being the original uploader of a pirated NHK drama to Nyaa, one of the largest anime torrent indexes on the internet. Anti-piracy group CODA called it a landmark case.
A Landmark Arrest Five Years in the Making
Japanese authorities have arrested a man accused of being the original uploader of pirated content on Nyaa, one of the world’s largest torrent indexes for anime, manga, games, and other Japanese media. According to anti-piracy organization CODA, Kyoto Prefectural Police made the arrest on July 28, targeting a resident of Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture on suspicion of uploading an NHK drama called Midnight Taxi to the site without permission.
CODA described the case as a “landmark” moment in its ongoing fight against online piracy. The investigation, as reported by Dexerto, began back in 2021 through a government-backed initiative called the Cross Border Enforcement Project. An analysis tool developed by the Japan Hacker Association played a key role in identifying the suspect before police moved in.
Why the First Uploader Matters
Nyaa operates differently from sites that host pirated files directly on their own servers. Instead, the platform indexes torrent files that users then share among themselves through BitTorrent. That distinction matters legally and practically, but CODA argues it also points to a clear pressure point: the first uploader.
By publishing the original torrent file, the suspect is accused of setting the entire distribution chain in motion. Every subsequent download and re-share traces back to that initial act. CODA’s position is that going after the source, rather than chasing individual downloaders scattered across the network, delivers far more impact per arrest. The group indicated it intends to continue pursuing uploaders at that level.
The site is not a small operation. According to CODA, Nyaa receives around 30 million monthly visits. Roughly half of that traffic originates from Japan, where fans use the platform to access newly released anime and TV dramas shortly after they air. That domestic audience makes the case particularly pointed: a significant share of the people using the site to watch NHK programming are in the same country as the broadcaster.
A Warning for Casual BitTorrent Users
Beyond the arrest itself, CODA used the moment to flag something that catches a lot of casual users off guard. Many BitTorrent clients, by default, begin uploading pieces of a file to other users while the download is still in progress. That behavior is how the protocol is designed to work, but it means someone who thinks of themselves purely as a viewer could technically qualify as a distributor under Japanese copyright law.
CODA urged fans to use legal services to access content, framing it around respect for creators rather than purely as a legal warning. The translated statement read, in part, that the group asks users to “enjoy content through legitimate channels” in order to support the “healthy development of culture” and honor the work of creators.
Services like Crunchyroll were highlighted as legal alternatives, a nudge that carries more weight now that the platform is widely available in Japan and internationally.
What Comes Next
Nyaa itself remains online. An arrest of an individual uploader does not shut down the index, and the site has survived considerable scrutiny over the years. But CODA’s framing of this as a landmark case suggests Japanese authorities are trying to establish a legal precedent, one where the act of creating and posting the first torrent file carries serious criminal exposure.
For the anime and gaming communities, the case is a reminder that the infrastructure enabling easy access to pirated content has real people behind each upload, and that those people are increasingly the target rather than an afterthought. Whether this arrest produces a measurable chill on Nyaa’s upload activity remains to be seen, but five years of investigative work ending in a single arrest sends a clear message about how seriously CODA and Kyoto Prefectural Police are taking the long game.
What is Nyaa and why is it significant?
Nyaa is one of the world's largest torrent indexes for anime, manga, games, and other Japanese media. According to anti-piracy group CODA, the site receives around 30 million monthly visits, with roughly half of that traffic coming from Japan.
Who was arrested and what are they accused of?
A resident of Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture was arrested on July 28 by Kyoto Prefectural Police on suspicion of uploading the NHK drama Midnight Taxi to Nyaa without permission, acting as what CODA describes as the 'first uploader.'
Why does targeting the first uploader matter?
Because Nyaa indexes torrent files rather than hosting content directly, the first uploader is the originating source of a file. CODA says going after that person can have a much larger impact than pursuing people further down the distribution chain.
How was the suspect identified?
According to CODA, the investigation began in 2021 through its government-backed Cross Border Enforcement Project. An analysis tool developed by the Japan Hacker Association helped investigators identify the suspect before Kyoto Prefectural Police made the arrest.