Ashida Toyoo, chairman of Studio Live, has organized the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) in order to petition for improved working conditions for Japanese animators and combat the ongoing decline of Japanese artists working in anime production. The JAniCA site reveals facts including:

A typical TV anime episode has a production budget of 1-2 million yen (8,500-17,000 USD)

An anime storyboard artist may earn up to 3.36 million yen ($28,541 USD) annually if the artist works every day of the year.

A key animator may work 10-15 hours a day and earn only 2.16 million yen ($18,354 USD) annually if the artist works every day of the year.

An estimated 20% to 30% of Japan's animators earn roughly 1 million yen ($8,500) annually.

Typical anime artists receive no vacation pay, health insurance, retirement plan, or other similar benefits.