TOKYO, Jun. 5 (Xinhua) – Japan aims to expand the overseas market size of anime, games and other creative industries to 20 trillion yen (129 billion U.S. dollars) by 2033, over four times the current level, local media reported.

According to the government, overseas sales of Japan's content creation industry, centering on anime and games, have been on the rise, standing at 4.7 trillion yen in 2022, Kyodo News reported Tuesday.

Noting that the figure is comparable in size to the value of exports of Japan's steel industry and can also be seen as closing in on that of its semiconductor industry, the government vowed to support the content creation businesses as a "basic industry" of the country, the report said.

The target was included in the country's new Cool Japan Strategy, as the Japanese government banks on soft power to deliver big economic benefits over the next decade.

The strategy also set a broader goal to generate more than 50 trillion yen annually by 2033 through what it calls Cool Japan-related industries, including exports of Japanese contents, agricultural products, fashion, makeup products as well as inbound tourism, according to the report.

Photo from Uchi: Japan Real Estate