Japan’s anime industry reached ¥3.84 trillion ($25.3 billion) in 2024, setting a record as overseas markets eclipse domestic sales for the third consecutive year. The Association of Japanese Animations reported Thursday that international revenues climbed 26% to ¥2.17 trillion ($14.3 billion), while home market sales grew a tepid 2.8% to ¥1.67 trillion ($11 billion).
The divergence marks a structural shift for an industry increasingly dependent on foreign audiences. The 14.8% overall expansion represents the second-fastest growth rate in two decades, trailing only 2019’s 15.3% jump.
Production revenues, which track studio earnings rather than consumer spending, rose 9.1% to ¥466.2 billion ($3.1 billion). Yet overseas business contributed just ¥118.8 billion ($781 million) to studio coffers, underscoring a persistent gap between global popularity and domestic profit capture.
Industry analysts note the figures may flatter underlying studio economics. Editor-in-chief Masahiko Hasegawa acknowledged a multi-year lag before streaming revenues fully materialize in production accounts, suggesting current growth may not fully benefit creators.
Tokyo aims to triple content exports to ¥20 trillion ($131 billion) by 2033 under its Cool Japan strategy. That would require adding roughly ¥500 billion annually—the equivalent of building a new Disneyland abroad each year, according to report author Hiromichi Masuda.
