Japan's anime industry achieved a historic milestone in 2025, with total market value rising 15.8% to $28.18 billion (JPY 4.45 trillion), according to data presented by the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) at TIFFCOM. This growth was fueled by robust performance in both local and overseas sectors, marking a shift from previous years where international expansion outpaced domestic gains.
Overseas revenues reached $16.1 billion (JPY 2.54 trillion), representing nearly 57% of the total industry value, while domestic earnings accounted for the remaining 43% at $12 billion (JPY 1.9 trillion). Unlike 2024, when overseas sales jumped 26% while domestic income remained largely flat, 2025 saw balanced growth with domestic revenues increasing by just over 14% and international figures rising by 17%. Overseas earnings first surpassed domestic totals in 2020 and have continued to widen the gap since then.
Masahiro Hasegawa, Editor-in-Chief of the AJA's Anime Industry Report, noted that many Japanese entities are actively pursuing revenue opportunities abroad, a trend expected to continue. While the overall industry figures reflect total market value, a separate analysis focused on revenues flowing directly to production companies showed an 8% increase to $3.2 billion (JPY 505 billion) in 2025, up from $2.95 billion the prior year. Hasegawa attributed this rise to more production firms taking equity positions in their works to retain intellectual property rights and share in overseas profits.
The 2025 fiscal year was highlighted by the massive success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie – Infinity Castle, which grossed approximately $800 million worldwide to become the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. Momentum continued into 2026 with hits like Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret Of Mermaid Island, which earned around $159 million globally and ranked 31st on Box Office Mojo's chart for the year.
Hasegawa emphasized that anime's international breakthrough is already a reality and that the sector is now designated as a core industry by the Japanese government. He highlighted the importance of localization and anti-piracy measures as the industry expands into emerging global regions. Supporting this growth, the Japanese government has launched an ambitious support program under its IP360 initiative, aiming to boost total content exports to $127 billion (JPY 20 trillion) by 2033. Specifically, the target for the anime industry is to reach $38 billion (JPY 6 trillion) in export revenues by that year, nearly doubling current figures.
Sources: Deadline.