Citing a Japanese government official, Kyodo News on Monday reported that Tokyo intends to use ODA funding to help about 10 developing <a href="https://comicvibe.com/japan-to-use-oda-against-anime-and-manga-piracy-in-10-countries/” title=”Japan to Use ODA Against Anime and Manga Piracy in 10 Countries”>countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia, combat the growing infringement of copyrights related to Japanese manga, anime, and video games
The initiative, led by Japan’s foreign ministry, aims to help partner countries strengthen their copyright laws and train personnel to curb the spread of counterfeit and pirated products
The Japanese government estimates that losses last year from the illegal uploading of manga and anime, along with the online sale of counterfeit merchandise featuring characters from those works, reached 10.4 trillion yen, or about US$64.2 billion
In addition to Vietnam and Indonesia, Japan plans to expand the support program to selected countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa
The assistance is expected to include sending legal experts to advise governments on copyright legislation, organizing public awareness campaigns, and bringing employees of local businesses to Japan for training in copyright protection
The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which administers Japan’s ODA programs, will begin assessing the needs of participating countries in August ahead of the broader initiative, which is set to roll out in fiscal year 2027 beginning in April next year
Japan aims to increase overseas revenue from its content industry to 20 trillion yen, or about $123.5 billion, by 2033
The government is also considering nearly doubling its annual budget for the content industry from around 55 billion yen ($340 million) to about 100 billion yen ($617.5 million)
The scheme is expected to be reflected in Japan’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, which will be drafted this summer
