Production I.G anime business profile: Ghost in the Shell studio inside IG Port

Production I.G predates its own parent company: the studio listed on Jasdaq in 2005, then converted itself into the IG Port holding company in 2007.

Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.

Short answer: Production I.G, Inc. is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, known for Ghost in the Shell, Haikyu!!, and Kaiju No. 8. It is a consolidated subsidiary of Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed IG Port (code 3791), so it does not publish standalone financial statements; the closest public figure is IG Port's Video Production segment, which posted JPY 8,105 million in revenue and a JPY 1,341 million operating loss in the fiscal year ended May 2026. The studio had 334 employees as of June 2025 and is led by president George Wada.

What Production I.G is and who owns it

Production I.G, Inc. is an animation production company based in Musashino, Tokyo. Its official company profile lists its businesses as planning and production of animation for film, television, and video; CG and game software planning and production; creator management; and the acquisition, management, and sale of copyrights. As of June 2025 it employed 334 people.

Ownership is unambiguous: the company's own profile names IG Port, Inc. as its parent. Sister companies listed are manga publisher Mag Garden, WIT STUDIO, and the US entity Production I.G, LLC. George Wada has served as president since August 2022, when founder Mitsuhisa Ishikawa moved to chairman.

A 1987 studio wearing a 2007 corporate shell

The studio's history page traces the operation to December 1987, when it was established as I.G Tatsunoko after handling contract production on the Tatsunoko series Red Photon Zillion. It renamed itself Production I.G in September 1993, the year it began investing in its own works with Patlabor 2 the Movie. Theatrical releases Ghost in the Shell in 1995 and Innocence in 2004 built its international reputation.

Production I.G listed on the Jasdaq exchange in December 2005. In November 2007 the listed company renamed itself IG Port and became a holding company, transferring nearly all operations to a newly established Production I.G, which is why the current entity's official establishment date reads November 1, 2007. The studio absorbed group companies XEBEC in June 2019 and Signal.MD in June 2025.

Where the financials actually live

Because Production I.G is not separately listed, there are no standalone Production I.G revenue or profit figures in public filings. The studio's results are consolidated into IG Port's Video Production segment, which also includes WIT STUDIO. In the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, that segment reported revenue of JPY 8,105 million, up 10.7%, and an operating loss of JPY 1,341 million, wider than the prior year's JPY 1,101 million loss.

IG Port attributed the widening loss to rising personnel, CG, and outsourcing costs and to loss provisions on orders for some titles as production schedules lengthened. Titles named in the filing include the Haikyu!! VS the Little Giant film, THE ONE PIECE, and Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi. IG Port also runs a separate Copyrights segment that books royalties and secondary-use income from group works such as Haikyu!! and Kaiju No. 8, which earned JPY 1,426 million in operating income the same year.

Segment definition note: IG Port's Video Production segment covers planning and production of animation for television, streaming, home video, and theaters, plus game, promotional, and live-action footage. It is not a per-studio disclosure: Production I.G and WIT STUDIO results are combined, and the figures are consolidated group numbers in Japanese yen.

How Production I.G makes money

Production I.G earns production fees for commissioned animation and, unlike studios that only contract, has invested in its own productions since Patlabor 2 in 1993. Its history page notes that in 2000 it acquired original rights for the first time with Blood: The Last Vampire, and a copyright-focused sister company, Ing, was set up as early as 1990. That combination means the studio can participate in both the production-fee layer and the rights-income layer of the same franchise.

The company's profile also lists creator management and copyright acquisition, management, and sale as core businesses. In practice, this shows up in IG Port's accounts as the split between the loss-making Video Production segment and the profitable Copyrights segment, which collects secondary-use income on works the group has funded.

Strategy and where I.G fits in anime

Production I.G's strategy is visible in its pipeline: long-running series such as Haikyu!!, streaming projects including THE ONE PIECE, and international collaborations such as Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi. In 2025, Evangelion director Hideaki Anno and former NTT content executive Tomonori Tanaka joined the Production I.G board, a move IG Port president Ishikawa presented as strengthening the studio's creative leadership.

The strategic tension is equally visible in the numbers. The group keeps adding ambitious productions, but the production business itself loses money at the operating level while the rights business carries group profitability. For a studio of I.G's scale, owning a piece of the rights is not a bonus; it is the difference between the segment tables above and a very different profit picture.

Frequently asked questions

Is Production I.G a public company?

No. Production I.G listed on Jasdaq in 2005, but in November 2007 it converted into the IG Port holding company and transferred operations to a new Production I.G subsidiary. Today the listed entity is IG Port (TSE code 3791).

What is Production I.G's revenue?

Production I.G does not publish standalone results. IG Port's Video Production segment, which includes Production I.G and WIT STUDIO, reported JPY 8,105 million in revenue and a JPY 1,341 million operating loss for the fiscal year ended May 2026.

Who runs Production I.G?

George Wada has been president and representative director since August 2022. Founder Mitsuhisa Ishikawa serves as chairman of Production I.G and president of parent IG Port.

What is Production I.G best known for?

Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor 2 the Movie, Haikyu!!, and Kaiju No. 8 are among its best-known works, alongside more recent streaming titles such as THE ONE PIECE and Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi.

Sources and methodology

Company profile, Production I.G. Official profile: address, establishment date, capital, 334 employees as of June 2025, president George Wada, parent company IG Port, and group companies.
Company history, Production I.G. Official timeline from the 1987 I.G Tatsunoko founding through the 2005 Jasdaq listing, 2007 IG Port conversion, and 2019 and 2025 absorptions of XEBEC and Signal.MD.
IG Port consolidated financial results, fiscal year ended May 2026, IG Port, via Tokyo Stock Exchange disclosure hosted by Kabutan. Primary filing released July 15, 2026: Video Production segment revenue and operating loss, named titles in production, and segment definitions.
IG Port Annual General Meeting notes, Hibiki Path Advisors. August 2025 AGM report confirming Hideaki Anno and Tomonori Tanaka's appointment to the Production I.G board.