Global anime market value: $30.7bn, projected to reach $129.7bn by 2037
The 13th AnimeJapan convention, the world’s largest anime industry event, convenes at Tokyo Big Sight from 28–31 March 2026.
This year’s edition expands into South Exhibition Halls and rooftop space, making it the largest in the event’s history with over 120 confirmed exhibitors including Aniplex, KADOKAWA, and Toei Animation.
Business Days: Essential for Rights Acquisition
Publishing professionals should prioritise Business Days (30–31 March), offering exclusive access to licensing negotiations, partnership development, and market intelligence.
The dedicated Conference Tower provides free meeting spaces, business seminars on cross-media collaborations, and the Anime Business Concierge service for navigating Japanese market entry.
An Exhibitors Pitch Event enables discovery of emerging properties before public auction.
Key market data indicates digital manga will capture 70% of market share by 2030, with the global manga market projected to grow from $19.35bn (2025) to $47.82bn by 2030 – a 19.83% CAGR.
Physical publishing remains profitable for collector editions, but simulcasting and digital distribution dominate growth strategies.
Public Days: Content Intelligence
The preceding Public Days (28–29 March) welcome 150,000+ attendees, providing invaluable consumer behaviour insights. Sakurazaka46 serves as 2026 ambassador, reflecting idol-anime synergy trends.
The official key visual features 22 characters across franchises including Re:Zero and Marriage Toxin, signalling which properties receive major promotional investment.
The View From The Beach
Global anime market value: $30.7bn, projected to reach $129.7bn by 2037. Publishers who are not making the connection between the growth in anime and the growth in manga and related comic publishing will be left behind as this trend accelerates.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
