Japan is positioning its gaming and creative industries, particularly makers of anime, manga, and video games, as key players of economic growth, hoping to quadruple their global value to $130 billion by 2033.
The government’s revised “Cool Japan” strategy underscores the potential of these pop culture assets to rival the country’s traditional exports, like steel and semiconductors.
In 2022, Japan’s content industry already generated nearly $30 billion abroad, nearing parity with microchip exports. This expansion is seen as critical to addressing Japan’s digital trade deficit, which reached $37.4 billion in 2023.
Highlighting the role of cultural exports as crucial in enhancing Japan’s global presence, the strategy document stated: “Content like anime and manga has played an extremely important role in attracting bigger and bigger young audiences abroad, serving as their ‘gateway’ to Japan,”
The popularity of anime series like “Demon Slayer” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” alongside the rise of virtual YouTubers (Vtubers), has significantly boosted Japan’s global influence. These trends are not just cultural phenomena but are also viewed as economic drivers with the potential to erase the digital trade deficit.
However, Japan’s content industry faces stiff competition from South Korea in live-action films and China in mobile games. To overcome these challenges, Japan’s government is focusing on cracking down on piracy, which threatens to siphon off potential revenues and fund criminal syndicates.
“Strengthening measures against piracy websites is essential to expanding the global market,” the government document also said, warning that such sites could undermine the industry’s growth.
Award-winning directors have urged the government to support the industry more effectively, citing the success of South Korea’s public-private initiatives. As Japan pushes forward with its Cool Japan strategy, it faces the complex task of nurturing its content industry while navigating global competition and digital transformation.
Swift intergovernmental action is needed to tackle the piracy “crisis” and to ensure Japan’s creative sectors can thrive on the global stage, according to the government document.
