Japanese IP Surge Drives Record Growth for Tokyo Content Market

Content buyers and producers arriving in Tokyo this week face a market that has expanded rapidly in both scale and scope. The content market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, known as TIFFCOM, is set to run from October 28 to 30 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsu-kan. Organizers project that the event will match or exceed the numbers from last year, when approximately 4,600 visitors and 300 exhibitors participated.

Managing director Kaori Ikeda attributes this growth to a global surge in interest for Japanese intellectual property. She cites the popularity of anime, the potential of manga and game properties, and the success of productions such as Shōgun. Ikeda noted that nearly 43 million people visited Japan last year, creating a cultural boom that supports the industry's commercial activities. "Tokyo is probably one of the most fascinating cities in the world," Ikeda said. "So definitely this supports our activities, because we are dealing with culture."

A central feature of the event is the Tokyo IP Market: Adaptation & Remake, which was relaunched last year from a smaller book-focused initiative. This year's edition includes major rights holders such as film companies Toei and Shochiku and toy maker Takara Tomy. Ikeda stated that the initiative has strong backing from the Japanese government and industry. The market recently traveled to the Cannes Marché du Film, where Japan served as Country of Honour, allowing international producers to connect with Japanese rights holders for potential adaptations.

The program also addresses technological shifts, adding artificial intelligence as a keynote topic for the first time. Executives Chris Brearton and Dominic Hughes from AGBO will present on technology and storytelling. Other sessions include the Association of Japanese Animations presenting its annual industry data and TV stations sharing case studies on overseas format sales. A session titled "Unlocking the Global Potential of Japanese IP" will feature producer Shinzo Matsuhashi, Steven Maeda of Netflix's One Piece, and Buddy Marini of Amazon MGM Studios Japan.

The event includes the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, now in its seventh year, which links partially funded projects with production partners. Two productions completed through last year's program will screen in the festival's Crosscut Asia+ section. The animated film The Violinist, which found an Italian partner at the 2023 event, won the top prize at the Annecy festival this year. Ikeda acknowledged that the industry is changing due to short dramas, budget cuts by streamers, and AI disruption. "There are so many things happening in the market at the moment," Ikeda said.

Ikeda, who is in her third year as managing director, previously worked at the Japanese independent distributor Asmik Ace and the cable company J:COM. Her current focus is on making the market a better venue for business meetings and networking. She aims to involve smaller publishers with limited experience in the global market. The event serves as a platform for the industry to address these shifting dynamics while leveraging the current interest in Japanese cultural exports.