From Godzilla to Gundam, Japanese trading cards aim to score big overseas

Bandai and other companies are pushing to win new customers abroad

20250520 One Piece event US

More than 10,000 trading card enthusiasts attended Bandai’s two-day "One Piece" event in Dallas, Texas, in March.

REIKA MIHARA, TAKURO SUZUKI, ANNU NISHIOKA and KANON WAKABAYASHI

TOKYO -- Global appetite for Japanese trading cards continues to grow, with July releases featuring Godzilla and characters from the "Mobile Suit Gundam" anime series poised to stoke further demand.

An event hosted by Bandai in Dallas, Texas, on March 8 and 9 to promote cards featuring heroes and other icons from the "One Piece" franchise drew over 10,000 attendees. The Bandai Namco Holdings subsidiary organized various game events and offered early sales of new cards.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.