Japan’s anime market hit a record high of 4.45 trillion yen (S$36 billion) in 2025, surpassing the 4 trillion yen mark for the first time. The Association of Japanese Animations reported this milestone on October 30, attributing the growth to strong overseas sales. The market has more than doubled since 2015, when it stood at 1.8 trillion yen, with overseas sales reaching 2.54 trillion yen in 2025.
The shift in the market was notable as overseas sales of Japanese animation surpassed domestic sales for the first time in 2020. This growth has been fueled by the rapid expansion of streaming services like Netflix, which have made anime more accessible globally during the post-pandemic boom. The film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle (2025), based on the popular manga series Demon Slayer (2016 to 2020), was a key contributor to the industry’s success in 2025.
Kazuko Ishikawa, president of the Association of Japanese Animations, highlighted the expanding global familiarity with Japanese animation. The Japanese government aims to boost overseas sales of content such as games, anime, and manga to 20 trillion yen by 2033, up from around 5.8 trillion yen in 2023, when they were second only to car industry sales.