Japanese productions are conquering the world at a rapid pace, but illegal consumption remains an open wound that major corporations are no longer willing to ignore. During a special meeting held at the House of Representatives in Japan, industry leaders discussed the future of the medium. It was in this setting that Toei Animation, the legendary studio behind giants like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Sailor Moon, demanded more aggressive and direct government intervention against international piracy.

A multi-million dollar problem in the international market

To grasp the scale of this demand, one must look at the numbers. Kiichiro Yamada, senior executive director of the studio, explained that anime sales abroad have just surpassed $13 billion, achieving a historic first by generating more revenue overseas than within Japan itself. However, these figures could be exponentially higher. Just last year, Japan reported losses exceeding $38 billion due to illegal downloads of anime, manga, and video games. With the industry targeting ambitious global sales by 2033, executives warned that illegal free distribution is the biggest obstacle to achieving those goals.

The future of animation at stake

Although Japanese authorities have begun implementing technological tools, such as an AI system designed to track stolen manga pages online, Toei Animation made it clear that these initial measures are insufficient. Yamada stressed the need for stricter international cooperation to enforce copyright laws. Producers argue that each view on unofficial sites is a direct blow to fundraising, money that is vital for improving animators’ working conditions and ensuring the creation of new projects with the quality demanded by audiences.

Protecting creative rights globally has become a race against time for Japanese studios. Knowing that legal subscriptions to streaming services compete daily against hundreds of unofficial platforms, do you think the Japanese government has the real power to curb international piracy, or do you believe that free consumption is an impossible battle for the anime industry?