Media & EntertainmentStreaming boom lifts Japan-anime market to record $20bn
Fans spent big on Pokemon and 'Demon Slayer' goods in 2021
Pokemon fans snapped up merchandise as the franchise marked its 25th anniversary in 2021. © Pokemon/Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK Inc.
YUJI NITTA, Nikkei staff writer
December 12, 2022 00:23 JST
TOKYO -- The global market for Japanese anime expanded 13% to an all-time high of 2.74 trillion yen ($20 billion at current rates) last year, thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix and fans eager to spend on merchandise for franchises like Pokemon and "Demon Slayer."