Japan Reportedly Plans ~$71M AI Push for Manga, Anime, and Gaming

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) is reportedly preparing a ¥11.5 billion (~$71M USD) subsidy program to help manga, anime, music, gaming, and live-action companies expand overseas. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun report, the initiative would support 15 companies by covering half of the eligible overseas promotion costs. It would also encourage the use of generative AI (GenAI) to accelerate foreign-language translations and official releases.

The reported beneficiaries include Shueisha, Kodansha, Crunchyroll, Square Enix, Bandai Namco Holdings, and NTT Solmare. Other listed recipients include companies from the music, gaming, and live-action sectors.

The government has yet to officially announce the subsidy program.

AI Translations Could Help Tackle Piracy and Speed Up Localization

The reported plan aims to address one of Japan's biggest overseas content challenges by tackling piracy.

Unauthorized websites frequently publish translated versions before official releases become available, contributing to growing losses for publishers. According to Japan News, piracy-related losses for manga, anime, and related content reached ¥5.7T (~$35B) in 2025. Meanwhile, total losses, including merchandise, climbed to ¥10.4T (~$64B).

By encouraging GenAI translations, the government reportedly hopes to speed up official localized releases and reduce demand for unauthorized versions. The subsidies would also support overseas advertising campaigns and participation in international events.

Entertainment Exports Remain a Government Priority

The initiative forms part of Japan's broader effort to strengthen its content industry. Overseas sales of Japanese entertainment reached ¥6.13T (~$37.91B) in 2024, surpassing semiconductor exports, which totaled ¥6.08T (~$37.60B). The government reportedly aims to increase overseas entertainment sales to ¥20T (~$123B) by 2033 while expanding the combined subscriber base of participating services from 100M to 300M.

Although the subsidy program remains unconfirmed, it follows METI's continued investment in GenAI.

Earlier in June 2026, the ministry and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) expanded the Generative AI Accelerator Challenge (GENIAC) initiative by selecting 16 new projects. The ministry described GenAI as a technology expected to help address issues, including labor shortages, while accelerating its adoption across industries.