Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Anime industry in Japan - statistics and facts
The animation industry is one of Japan’s most visually distinctive media industries. While animation works are generally referred to as “anime” in the Japanese language, the term is used in other countries to describe animation specifically produced in Japan or a certain aesthetic associated with Japanese animations and related products. Regular anime programs became a staple of television broadcasting, partly due to the pioneering endeavors of Osamu Tezuka, whose animation series “Astro Boy” premiered on Fuji TV in 1963 and became a major success. Targeted initially at children, anime became more sophisticated as a storytelling medium throughout the decades, making it increasingly compelling for adult audiences. Due to the strong growth of the overseas market since the mid-2010s, total anime industry revenue reached a record-setting 3.35 trillion Japanese yen in 2023.
The boom in animation has led to an increase in animation companies since the turn of the millennium. Animation works are often produced by so-called production committees, which consist of different corporations specializing in certain business fields. While this reduces each company's risk and enables specialization in a market where success remains difficult to predict, the actual production companies frequently earn only a fraction of the generated revenue. As a result, animators are often severely underpaid, and many quit in the first years of their careers.
Current state of the anime industry
As a result of high demand from domestic and overseas audiences, the anime industry currently produces a large number of shows every year. New broadcast programs clearly outnumber long-running shows, resulting in high content turnover. Animated works also play a significant role in the film industry, with anime movies regularly ranking at the top of the box office. One particularly noteworthy example is the theatrical adaptation of “Demon Slayer,” which became Japan’s highest-grossing movie to date despite being released during the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020.The boom in animation has led to an increase in animation companies since the turn of the millennium. Animation works are often produced by so-called production committees, which consist of different corporations specializing in certain business fields. While this reduces each company's risk and enables specialization in a market where success remains difficult to predict, the actual production companies frequently earn only a fraction of the generated revenue. As a result, animators are often severely underpaid, and many quit in the first years of their careers.
Anime and the video streaming business
A breakdown of the industry revenue by segment shows that merchandising is by far the most valuable business within the domestic market. However, in recent years, particularly high growth has been observed in the anime streaming business. The competition between major platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, has spurred on the Japanese video-on-demand (VOD) market and opened up new possibilities for animation production companies, which are increasingly in demand as content creators. Cooperations with major video streaming services have become a lucrative business, leading to many shows being created with international audiences in mind. To better position itself in the distribution business, Sony acquired anime streaming service Crunchyroll for almost 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. This purchase can be considered a further indicator of the importance streaming will likely have for the anime industry in the coming years.
