- The government aims to increase annual foreign sales to $130 billion by 2033.
- Current public support stands at $164 million, with calls to raise over $651 million.
- The new measures will target global distribution, anti-piracy efforts and AI-powered translation tools.
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Japan is set to significantly expand government support for its video game and broader content industries in a bid to position the sector as a new pillar of national economic development.
As reported japan timesOverseas sales of Japanese materials are expected to reach approximately ¥5.8 trillion ($37.7 billion) in 2023, surpassing semiconductor exports.
The government aims to increase annual foreign sales to 20 tonnes ($130 billion) by 2033. While currently ¥25.3 billion ($164 million) has been allocated to support the content industry.
Additionally, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has called for funding to be increased to more than ¥100bn ($651m), citing strong public-private support in countries such as South Korea and the United States.
budget expansion
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration has also earmarked ¥35bn ($228m) in the supplementary budget for fiscal year 2025 as part of a multiyear investment plan.
The measures will focus on strengthening global distribution, combating manga piracy, and expanding the use of AI-powered translation tools.
This comes after Japan’s Content Overseas Distribution Association asked OpenAI to stop using its members’ works to train models like Sora 2, alleging potential copyright infringement.
The request was supported by member companies including Aniplex, Bandai Namco, Studio Ghibli, Square Enix, Kadokawa, and Shueisha.