Netflix soaks up Japanese series based on mangas and novels

Streaming service wins 10m paid subscribers in Japan, doubling in 4 years

20241212 Netflix City Hunter

Ryohei Suzuki as Ryo Saeba in "City Hunter," a live-action version of a Japanese manga series. (Netflix)

REI NAKAFUJI, Nikkei staff writer

PALO ALTO, California -- U.S. streaming giant Netflix has not only acquired a large number of subscribers in Japan in the last decade but has also become a leading player in the export of video creations based on manga comics, novels and nonfiction stories from the country.

According to Kaata Sakamoto, vice president of Japanese content at the California-based company, Netflix's paying members in Japan topped 10 million in June, doubling from 5 million in 2020.

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