Japan’s Anime Industry Reaches Record High in 2024
Japan’s anime industry has hit a milestone in 2024, reaching a total market value of JPY3.84 trillion ($25.25 billion), as reported by the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) at TIFFCOM, the market arm of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The event showcased presentations by industry giants like Toho Global, known for the “Godzilla” franchise, as well as insights into popular series like “Gundam” and the award-winning film “ChaO.” These presentations highlighted how anime continues to be a driving force behind Japan’s expanding global content economy.
While overseas revenues saw a significant 26% increase year-on-year, reaching JPY2.17 trillion ($14.27 billion), local earnings also saw a modest rise of 2.8% to JPY1.67 trillion ($10.98 billion). This growth marks the second-highest annual rate on record, following a 15.3% increase in 2019.
AJA chair Kazuko Ishikawa, who is also the president of Nippon Animation, emphasized that anime has become a vital component of Japan’s cultural and economic exports. The association aims to further enhance industry conditions to support creators and studios in producing high-quality content that resonates globally.
The upcoming Anime Industry Report 2025, scheduled for release in December, will analyze the market in two key sectors: the broad “anime industry market,” estimating total consumer spending on anime-related goods and licensing, and the narrower “anime production market,” tracking studio revenues.
The production-side market achieved a record high in 2024, with a 9.1% increase year-on-year to JPY466.2 billion ($3.06 billion). Overseas business contributed JPY118.8 billion ($781 million), showcasing steady growth in this segment.
According to Masahiko Hasegawa, editor-in-chief of the AJA report, the overseas market now surpasses local revenues and is expected to continue growing. The industry’s growth includes bundled contracts encompassing theatrical releases, streaming, merchandising, and event rights, emphasizing the shift towards a more comprehensive content distribution model.
With overseas anime revenues surpassing domestic earnings in 2023 and widening the gap in 2024, the genre’s global momentum is undeniable. The International Otaku Events Association lists 136 anime-related events in 51 countries and regions, further solidifying its international appeal.
Japan’s government recognizes anime and related media as a strategic core industry, aiming to triple overseas content sales to JPY20 trillion ($131.4 billion) by 2033 under the revised Cool Japan initiative. The focus is on exporting Japan’s entire anime ecosystem, including merchandise tie-ins, retail campaigns, and cross-media collaborations.
AJA predicts that future growth will stem not only from distribution and theatrical revenues but also from exporting Japan’s complete anime cultural economy. Hasegawa notes that anime has evolved beyond storytelling to become a full cultural economy with a rapidly expanding global presence.
