Tokyo Market Space Sells Out as Japanese Producers Push Global Ambitions

· Entertainment · Japan

TIFFCOM, the content market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, sold out its exhibition space early this year, managing director Ikeda Kaori said, as more Japanese producers use the market to find partners while projects are still in development. Last year's edition drew more than 4,600 industry professionals. TIFFCOM CEO Shiina Yasushi said Japan's entertainment business must adopt the Hollywood studio model if the country is to hit its content export targets, with the market heading into its 23rd edition and eyeing major expansion by 2030. Separately at the festival, director Takeo Hisamatsu, returning to lead the event ahead of its 40th anniversary, said he wants more money, more parties and a bigger global profile for Japanese cinema, citing surging international interest in Japanese content.

Why it matters：Japan's push to export content and professionalize its market infrastructure is a test of whether a non-English-language industry can build Hollywood-style global distribution, with implications for buyers, financiers and streamers seeking Japanese IP.

Key points

  • TIFFCOM's exhibition space sold out early this year.
  • Last year's edition drew more than 4,600 industry professionals.
  • The market is heading into its 23rd edition.

Sources (original reporting)

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