Japan’s game and anime industries could be looking at improved working conditions and higher wages with government’s new plan to quadruple the content industry’s worth by 2033 

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) began formulating a concrete plan of action to revitalize and expand Japan’s content industry on November 6. Japan aims to make content creation the driving force of the country’s economy- identifying anime and video games as core industries in its revised Cool Japan strategy. To this end, the government aims for the content industry to be worth 20 trillion yen by 2033 (Source: The Sankei News via IT Media). 

For context, Japan’s content industry (including games, anime, manga and film) was valued at 4.7 trillion yen in 2022, so the government is aiming to more than quadruple its growth by 2033. The ministry’s study group for the endeavor held its first meeting on Wednesday. By Spring 2025, the group of seven experts aims to draw up a plan of action to increase the global competitiveness of Japan’s content industry.  

Japan economic growth strategy

The global popularity of Japanese anime is growing, with figures from last year suggesting that 20% of the industry’s profit comes from outside Japan. However, issues with current working practices, low wages and dwindling human resources have been repeatedly pointed out as obstacles that could hinder its growth. For example, a recent UN report concluded that the anime industry could face “potential collapse” due to such systemic problems. 

In response to these issues, the study group aims to come up with concrete courses of action in five key areas. These include human resource development, improving working conditions and wages for creators, employing digital technologies, and utilizing IP to support regional development. The resulting plan of action will not only cover the content industry but also industries like entertainment, fashion and traditional crafts. 

In September, the Japanese government set up the Public-Private Council on the Content Industry, which will discuss the plan of action and serve as a commanding organization for promoting this economic growth strategy.