Toei Animation Confirms New Vietnam Studio and Dubai Office
Toei Expands to Vietnam and Dubai Under VISION 2030
The studio behind One Piece and Dragon Ball advances its 200-billion-yen revenue push with new production and sales infrastructure across Asia and the Middle East.
Highlights
- Toei Animation will open a Vietnam studio and Dubai office as part of its Vision 2030 global expansion strategy.
- The company aims to scale production, licensing, and regional localization across Asia, the Middle East, and other key markets.
- Toei’s move reflects a current anime industry trend, with Japanese anime companies investing heavily in overseas markets.
Toei Animation has confirmed it will establish a new animation studio in Vietnam and a regional base in Dubai, disclosing the moves with its financial results for the fiscal year ended March 2026. Both initiatives fall under its VISION 2030 management plan, which targets revenue of ¥200 billion (~$1.27 billion USD) and operating profit of ¥50B (~$315.55M) by 2031.
Toei’s VISION 2030 roadmap specifically targets overseas business expansion as a core growth pillar. The Vietnam studio will help expand Toei’s animation production outside Japan, while the Dubai office will support regional business expansion, including licensing and merchandising across the Middle East.
The Vietnam and Dubai expansion is also part of Toei’s target regions, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. VISION 2030 positions the current five-year period as a preparatory phase for a forward leap in the global market, with an aspiration that targets ¥500B (~$3.16B) in sales.
Toei VISION 2030: Vietnam, Dubai, and the Infrastructure Play
According to the VISION 2030 plan, Toei will invest approximately ¥24B (~ $152M) in its studios, including the addition of new employees, and a further ¥20B (~ $127M) in overseas development. Toei’s main goal behind the initiatives is to create an infrastructure that can simultaneously produce, expand the IP business, and localize functions according to the regional markets.
Toei’s growing Middle East ambitions already expand beyond a regional base with its Dubai office. In Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya entertainment city, the world's first Dragon Ball theme park is currently under construction. The Dragon Ball park is said to feature more than 30 anime-inspired attractions, including ‘Beerus’ Planet,’ ‘Capsule Corporation,’ and ‘Kame House.’
Furthermore, Toei is targeting to strengthen its IP licensing business in North America, Europe, and China, with marketing initiatives and overseas business expansion. With these measures, the company expects overseas sales to reach ¥120B (~$757.32M), accounting for 60% of its total revenue target by fiscal 2031.
Toei’s expansion strategy reflects a wider trend across Japan’s anime sector, where companies including Sony Group and Bandai Namco Holdings are investing in global distribution and franchise ecosystems. Japan’s overall anime industry is also profiting from its overseas business; anime exports recorded ¥2.17T (~$13.57B) back in 2024.
Author
Kamalikaa Biswas is a content writer at Outlook Respawn specializing in pop culture. She holds a Master's in English Literature from University of Delhi and leverages her media industry experience to deliver insightful content on the latest youth culture trends.
