Japan content exports market data: 2023 overseas sales
METI now treats content as a core export industry, with anime and games carrying the largest overseas share.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Japan's content industry generated approximately ¥5.8 trillion in overseas sales in 2023, according to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. That total surpassed the export value of semiconductors and steel and was second only to automobiles among Japanese industries. Anime and video games accounted for the largest share of the increase.
What Japan's content exports measure
METI's Entertainment and Creative Industries Strategy defines content exports as revenue earned abroad from Japanese animation, manga, games, music, film, television, fashion, art, and design. The ¥5.8 trillion figure for 2023 includes licensing, overseas distribution, sales through overseas subsidiaries, and direct e-commerce from Japan to overseas buyers.
The ministry's 2025 five-year action plan states that content exports grew roughly threefold over the preceding decade. The same document compares the 2023 total with other major Japanese exports: semiconductors at ¥5.5 trillion, steel at ¥4.8 trillion, and petrochemicals at ¥1.6 trillion.
Japanese content exports compared with other major export industries in 2023, per METI.| Industry | 2023 export value | Comparison |
|---|
| Content | ¥5.8 trillion | Second only to automobiles |
| Semiconductors | ¥5.5 trillion | Below content |
| Steel | ¥4.8 trillion | Below content |
| Petrochemicals | ¥1.6 trillion | Below content |
Which categories are driving growth
METI identifies anime and games as the core engines of overseas growth. The government's 2025 strategy notes that anime alone accounts for roughly 30% of Japan-originated content overseas sales, or about ¥2.1 trillion in recent years.
Console and anime exports delivered most of the year-on-year increase in 2023, while live-action film, television programs, and manga were relatively flat. Music is explicitly excluded from some industry estimates because comparable cross-border data are not available.
How the export model is changing
Japan's content trade used to rely heavily on licensing out rights to foreign partners. METI describes this older model as lower risk but also lower return, because pricing and distribution were controlled overseas.
The current strategy calls for a shift toward what METI labels 'Content Overseas Expansion 2.0': Japanese companies building their own overseas offices, running local fan events, and selling merchandise directly. The goal is to capture a larger share of downstream revenue rather than collecting only an upfront license fee.
Policy target, not a forecast: METI has set a goal of ¥20 trillion in content overseas sales by 2033. That is a government policy target, not a projected baseline, and reaching it would require annual growth well above recent rates.
What the headline leaves out
The ¥5.8 trillion figure measures gross overseas sales, not the amount that returns to Japanese creators or studios. METI's own materials note that for anime and publishing in particular, a large share of overseas sales stays with foreign platforms, distributors, and licensees.
This gap between export revenue and domestic income is one reason the 2033 target focuses on structural changes, such as direct overseas distribution and rights ownership, rather than simply increasing production volume.
Frequently asked questions
What were Japan's content exports in 2023?
Approximately ¥5.8 trillion, according to METI's Entertainment and Creative Industries Strategy action plan released in June 2025.
Which content categories grew the most?
Anime and console games delivered most of the growth in 2023, while live-action film, TV, and manga were flat.
What is Japan's content export target for 2033?
METI has set a policy goal of ¥20 trillion in overseas content sales by 2033, which would require a major acceleration from recent growth.