Japanese Government to Invest in Promoting J-pop Culture

The Japanese government has established plans to launch a “Contents Overseas Development Fund” to invest money in the international promotion of Japanese pop culture – particularly anime and film. The monetary fund will tentatively begin encouraging and expanding international licensing of Japanese media and artists, and investing in overseas production companies this fall.

Overseas revenue generated only 1.9% of the Japanese media industry’s grosses in 2004 compared to the 17% figure for American media. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry wants to boost the exposure and revenue gains of Japanese creative media to a level rivaling America’s.

The fund is part of a larger governmental strategy to promote Japan’s “brand.” Prime Minister Aso Taro promised last month to create 4 million jobs in in Japan by 2020, with 500,000 involved in the country’s “soft power” in anime, manga, and similar areas of popular creative culture.

Source: Anime News Network