Japan's METI Backs 8 Anime Studios in First IP360 Subsidy Round

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) has announced the first round of projects selected under its IP360 Subsidy program, with eight leading anime companies receiving government support. Aniplex, Wit Studio, CoMix Wave Films, Twin Engine, Trigger, Production I.G, K2 Pictures, and Mappa make up the anime category among the 19 selected companies.

METI’s subsidy program is designed to help Japanese IP owners develop globally competitive franchises through animation, games, films, and cross-media projects. The subsidy program will back METI’s already unveiled goal to increase content exports up to ¥20 trillion (~ $125.13 billion USD) by 2033.

Selected companies can receive up to ¥1.5B (~$9.24M), with the final amount calculated from the average sales of each applicant’s top three past works. Rather than funding production alone, the initiative also supports business strategies that expand overseas distribution and localization. METI's IP360 program supports 50% of production costs.

How the METI Selected Anime Studios Will Use the Subsidies

The announcements show that METI is backing different anime production pipelines under separate models. Aniplex was selected for a project focused on strengthening a sustainable animation production system.

MAPPA, the studio behind anime tentpoles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, received support to produce a new animated work, while WIT Studio, TRIGGER, and K2 Pictures were each selected for new theatrical animation projects.

Haikyu!! and Psycho-Pass studio Production I.G’s grant is earmarked for large-scale theatrical works built around a sustainable creator environment. Meanwhile, CoMix Wave Films and Twin Engine secured funding for general animation production operations, reflecting METI’s emphasis on creating sustainable production capacity alongside content creation.

METI’s emphasis on theatrical animation projects directly reflects the growth in the theatrical anime business. Recent theatrical distribution of the Demon Slayer movie franchise and other notable film releases, including Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and Reze Arc have demonstrated global box-office success.

The Eight Anime Studios are Part of METI’s broader IP360 strategy

According to Deloitte’s overview of the IP360 initiative, the program is designed to help Japanese creative companies create globally competitive intellectual properties. In the first cohort, 19 companies were selected across multiple creative sectors, including gaming and live-action, along with anime studios.

Prominent Japanese gaming companies such as Square Enix, Koei Tecmo, and SEGA are receiving grants for the development of new games. Apart from these three, four other gaming companies were selected along with four live-action production companies under the first round of the IP360 support program.

Together, the first round of IP360 selections illustrates how METI is treating anime, games, and live-action content as a single export pipeline rather than separate industries. By distributing funding across studios, productions, and creator ecosystems, the ministry is investing in infrastructure as much as in individual projects to help it scale Japan’s content exports.