Japan's entertainment industry needs to adopt the approach that turned Hollywood studios into global players if it hopes to meet its content export ambitions, according to Shiina Yasushi, CEO of TIFFCOM. The Tokyo International Film Festival's content market is now preparing for its 23rd edition.
The Japanese government wants overseas content sales to reach JPY20 trillion ($126.6 billion) by 2033, with anime expected to account for JPY6 trillion ($38 billion) of that total. Shiina told Variety that simply looking abroad will not be enough unless Japanese companies change how they work.
In the past, he said, Japanese firms often licensed content rights overseas and left local distribution and marketing to their licensees. "Going forward, companies should retain ownership of their IP, be actively involved in international distribution, and maximize the revenue generated from their properties," Shiina said.
He noted that Hollywood studios grew to global scale by building their own distribution operations in each country and dealing with markets directly. Japan should follow that path, he argued. Once such a base exists, a property can be extended across film, games, streaming and merchandise, which Shiina described as the move toward the "IP-driven industry" the government has called for.
Shiina sees signs that attitudes are shifting. TBS is working with Legendary Entertainment, Nippon TV is expanding internationally, and publishers are weighing overseas adaptations. "In the past, the very concept of the long-term value of IP was not widely considered," he said. Talent agencies are also paying more attention, he added, since the IP a performer worked on can outlast their career.
The market itself has changed most in who attends, he said. TIFFCOM was once chiefly a venue where international sales agents traded finished content. Producers' arrival made it more creative, and streamers now sit alongside film and TV companies. The IP holders on the floor include anime studios, publishers, game companies and toy makers. The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market has grown large enough to support programs built around particular regions and genres, including a collaboration with Italy and, this year, a partnership with Canada's genre outfit Frontières.
The goal, Shiina said, is to make Tokyo a key stop for developing and financing projects as well as selling finished ones. Taking the Tokyo IP Market to the Cannes Film Market raised TIFFCOM's profile, where Japan was Country of Honor. Still, he said the priority is bringing international professionals to Japan rather than repeating the Cannes move elsewhere. He called the biggest result of Cannes a change in mindset among Japanese executives, who learned they could take part in festival markets rather than only buy and sell finished films. "If Cannes was the first step, this edition of Tokyo represents the second step, and we are still just at the beginning," he said.
On artificial intelligence, this year's technology keynote features executives from AGBO speaking about AI and storytelling. Shiina would not predict which part of the business AI will change first, but he is sure it will reshape production by cutting costs and shortening turnaround. Rights are his chief concern, and he said the whole industry must work on frameworks for them. He does not believe Japan can settle the question alone, since the technology and the rights involved cross borders, and he said opting out of AI is no longer realistic.
Asked about anime's long-running problems with costs, working conditions and creators' share of profits, Shiina said conditions are improving, though slowly. He pointed to work-style reforms, a new law protecting freelancers and joint government and industry efforts. Studios are also beginning to retain their IP rather than working only as subcontractors. Looking ahead, he wants to expand TIFFCOM across its whole operation. "By around 2030, including venue expansion, we envision growing TIFFCOM into a significantly expanded marketplace," he said.
