Tokyo to Improve Content Creators' Work Conditions Under 'Cool Japan' Strategy

By Megumi Fujikawa

TOKYO--Japan's minister in charge of promoting its cultural exports pledged to improve working conditions for content creators as part of a renewed government push to expand the global reach of the entertainment industry.

"Japan's content industry serves to enhance our nation's international appeal by continuously fascinating people around the world," Kimi Onoda said Monday in an interview with The Wall Street Journal and other media.

"Because talented people are the source of this appealing content, compensation issues are a critical challenge for the entire industry."

While Japan has produced globally recognized characters--from Super Mario, Pikachu to Hello Kitty--low wages and grueling working conditions have pushed many artists and developers to seek better opportunities abroad.

Drawing on her own experience at a video-game company before entering politics, Onoda said creators are often exploited through what she described as "passion exploitation," where they are expected to work excessive overtime simply because they love their craft.

The government plans to publish survey results on business practices in the film and anime production industries and to develop guidelines clarifying potential antitrust issues, the minister said.

Under its "Cool Japan" strategy, the government aims to promote Japanese pop culture and creative industries abroad as a way to support economic growth and attract more foreign tourists. Officials have positioned the entertainment and creative sector as a core growth engine and a potential top foreign-currency earner.

Overseas sales of Japanese content, such as anime, comics, video games, film and music, now generate export value comparable to Japan's steel and semiconductor industries, underscoring how soft power has become a significant national asset.

Tokyo has set a target of Y20 trillion, equivalent to about $130 billion, in annual overseas content sales by 2033, more than quadruple the Y4.7 trillion recorded in 2022. The goal forms part of a broader plan to generate more than Y50 trillion annually by 2033 through consumer spending on content, food, fashion, cosmetics and inbound tourism.

Government efforts to promote "Cool Japan" date back to the early 2010s, but past initiatives faltered as top-down, bureaucratic approaches often failed to align with the grassroots nature of the cultural trends they sought to promote.

Onoda is widely known for her genuine enthusiasm for Japanese pop culture and frequently discusses her favorite comics and games on social media, fueling public expectations that she will leverage her firsthand understanding of creative industries to make the strategy more effective.

"By creating an environment where creators can work confidently and maximize their creativity, we believe a virtuous cycle will be generated: the appeal of the content industry will be further enhanced, and private investment will be drawn in," Onoda said.

Write to Megumi Fujikawa at megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 17, 2025 06:34 ET (11:34 GMT)