Japan’s Anime Boom Is Attracting Wealthy Investors, Major Conglomerates
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A lot of work goes into making your favorite anime. From My Hero Academia to Kimi ni Todoke, no anime experiences the same path to production. The industry is vast, and over the decades, the machinations of anime production have become more or less routine. However, change is coming as the industry is booming thanks to post-COVID interest, and a new report suggests two major conglomerates are now ready to invest in the future of anime.
The report, as noted by Variety, reveals that two Japanese conglomerates have begun to invest in the anime industry. The first is Marubeni, a trading pillar that stands as Japan’s 13th largest corporation. The conglomerate has formed a new venture with Shogakukan, a popular manga publisher, to begin investing in both the anime and manga markets.
In a statement regarding its investment, Marubeni highlighted the immense potential in anime. “Overseas sales of Japanese content were estimated in 2022 to be equivalent to JPY4.7 trillion ($2.9 billion). The popularity of Japanese manga and anime is growing rapidly to a backdrop of rising demand for stay-at-home stocks occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as aggressive distribution by major overseas distributors, with the market expanding to encompass a variety of merchandise, including games.”
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