How Pop Culture became Japan's No. 1 Export

By Roland Kelts, Harvard University Nieman Fellow 2017

Photo by Timothy Scott Ralston

The value of Japan's pop culture exports anime and manga now rivals that of Japan's steel and semiconductor industries, making it the centerpiece of recent government meetings. Overseas sales of anime have grown exponentially, with the market size more than doubling over the past decade. Major funds like Blackstone and Mizuho are now investing in Japanese pop culture, and the Japanese government aims to expand its global market fourfold to $130 billion in less than a decade.

But how did a low-budget, 75 year-old entertainment medium from Japan become the biggest content driver for Netflix worldwide in 2025? Why do more Gen Z Americans now prefer anime to the NFL--and why is the fanbase for manga and anime growing so quickly in every corner of the earth, from Chile to India to Saudi Arabia?

Join renowned author and media expert Roland Kelts as he tells us the whole story, from start to finish, including its biggest future challenge: AI piracy.

Date: Wednesday, March 26th

Time: Doors Open: 18:45 / Talk start: 19:00 / Reception 20:00 – 21:00

Venue: Deloitte Tohmatsu Innovation Park Room D Auditorium

Address:  Room D Auditorium, Shin Tokyo Building 8th Floor, 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

AFTER ARRIVING AT THE 8TH FLOOR, PLEASE PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE ROOM D AUDITORIUM.

CLICK HERE FOR A MAP TO THE VENUE AND A FLOORPLAN TO THE ROOM D AUDITORIUM.

Please register for the event using the reservation function below. 
FOR VENUE SECUIRTY REASONS, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR COMPANY OR OTHER AFFILIATION IN THE "ORGANIZATION" FIELD.

Due to competition and KYC issues related to the venue,

those working at major consulting firms are kindly asked to recuse themselves 

from attending this event.

If you have any questions about whether this applies to you, please contact  

HCJ Events Director Jonathan Harlow at: jonathan@jonathanharlow.com

Please note that the system DOES NOT SEND A CONFIRMATION EMAIL.

***Note that cancellations after noon on Friday, March 21st and no-shows will be charged the full participation fee, as we are committing to the venue on a per-person basis. By registering for this event, you are agreeing to comply with this policy. Your understanding of and compliance with this policy are greatly appreciated!

Admission fee: 6,000 JPY per person, to be paid IN CASH at the door.

(Covers event participation and standing buffet, with separate cash bar. Entrance to the venue will be permitted only after the admission fee has been paid.)

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EVENT RECEPTION AND BAR WILL ONLY ACCEPT CASH: CREDIT CARDS AND E-PAYMENTS ARE NOT ACCEPTED

SPEAKER'S BIOGRAPHY:

Roland Nozomu Kelts is an award-winning Japanese American journalist, author, editor and scholar. He is best known for his highly acclaimed bestseller, Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US, and the more recent, Blade Runner: Black Lotus. He contributes to numerous media in Japan, the US and Europe, including the BBC, CNN, NHK, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Guardian and The New York Times, and has been a contributing editor to the literary journal "Monkey: New Writing from Japan" since its inception in 2011. He has worked as an author, editor and consultant for publishers in Japan, the UK and the US for over twenty years, and was a Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard in 2017. He is currently a Visiting Professor at Waseda University in Tokyo.

http://japanamerica.blogspot.com/

Deloitte Tohmatsu Innovation Park is a members-only club made available to us by special arrangement with a member.

Please do not contact Deloitte Tohmatsu Innovation Park or engage with their staff directly for any reason.

Dress code: Business casual - Collared shirts, no shorts or sandals.

Child policy: As alcohol will be served at this event, participation is limited to guests aged 20+.

Guests: Guests are welcome - Please register in their name, and indicate "Friend of (your name)" in the "Title" field in the reservation. Please include YOUR email address so we can contact you as necessary regarding guests registered on your behalf. We appreciate your understanding that you will be responsible for your guests' compliance with the cancellation policy and the other terms and conditions of this event described above.

Enquiries: For any problems registering or other enquires please e-mail to Yukari Fujita at veritas@fa.catv-yokohama.ne.jp