Anime trading card market data: how Japan's TCG category reached ¥338 billion
Anime-linked trading cards sit inside Japan's card-game category. The Japan Toy Association's fiscal 2025 survey is the cleanest public benchmark for the segment.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: The Japan Toy Association reports that Japan's card-game and trading-card category reached ¥338.4 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of ¥35.9 billion year over year. That is roughly 30% of the total domestic toy market. The association names Pokemon Card Game, Duel Masters TCG, and Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG as growth drivers. This is a retail-category figure, not an anime-IP-only total.
The ¥338.4 billion card-game category
The Japan Toy Association's fiscal 2025 market-size survey puts the card-game and trading-card category at ¥338.4 billion, up ¥35.9 billion from fiscal 2024.
That makes cards the largest single product field in the domestic toy market and about 30% of the total market.
Japan Toy Association fiscal 2025 market-size survey. Trading-card category at suggested retail prices.| Measure | Fiscal 2025 value |
|---|
| Total toy market | ¥1,166.4B |
| Card game / trading card category | ¥338.4B |
| Year-over-year increase | +¥35.9B |
| Share of total toy market | ~30% |
Which titles are driving growth
The Japan Toy Association specifically names Pokemon Card Game, Duel Masters TCG, and Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG as the titles supporting the category's expansion.
All three have anime, game, and merchandise tie-ins, so their card sales are often discussed alongside anime IP. The JTA survey does not split out what share of card sales is directly attributable to anime viewers versus collectors or competitive players.
Why this is not a pure 'anime TCG' number
The ¥338.4 billion figure covers all trading cards and card games tracked by JTA, not only anime-based ones. Some card brands have no current anime, while others are deeply anime-linked.
Because the category is defined by product format rather than by IP origin, it overcounts anime-related cards and undercounts anime IP sold in other formats. It is the best official benchmark available, but it should not be read as an anime-TCG-only total.
How cards compare to other toy segments
In fiscal 2025 the card-game category was larger than hobby (¥196.0 billion) and plush toys (¥62.4 billion) combined. It was also larger than any other single product field in the JTA survey.
That scale explains why card-game performance is often treated as a leading indicator for the broader toy and character-goods market.
Methodology caveats
The JTA survey is based on suggested retail prices and covers member companies and Tokyo Toy Show exhibitors. It does not capture every resale transaction, import purchase, or secondhand card sale.
Growth drivers are named by JTA but not quantified. The share of category growth coming from each title is not publicly disclosed.
Cards are the biggest toy segment, not a separate anime segment: Use ¥338.4 billion as the official Japan trading-card category size. Anime-linked cards are a large portion of that, but no official body publishes an anime-TCG-only split.
Frequently asked questions
What is the anime trading card market size in Japan?
There is no official anime-TCG-only figure. Japan's broader card-game and trading-card category was ¥338.4 billion in fiscal 2025.
Which trading cards are growing in Japan?
The Japan Toy Association names Pokemon Card Game, Duel Masters TCG, and Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG as the growth drivers in fiscal 2025.
What share of the toy market are trading cards?
The card-game and trading-card category was about 30% of Japan's total toy market in fiscal 2025.
Does the JTA number include resale and secondhand cards?
No. The survey tracks suggested retail prices for new products from participating companies. It does not cover the secondary market.
Sources and methodology
- 玩具市場規模調査結果データ, Japan Toy Association. Fiscal 2025 card game / trading card category at ¥338.4 billion, up ¥35.9 billion year over year, about 30% of total toy market.
- Anime Industry Report 2025 English summary, Association of Japanese Animations. Broader anime merchandising context for 2024 and definitions of domestic anime spending categories.
- 「アニメ産業レポート2025」刊行のお知らせ・2024年のアニメ産業市場規模 速報値 発表, Association of Japanese Animations. Official AJA broad-market definitions and 2024 totals.