Cashing in on Japanese Pop Culture: From Niche to Global Heavyweight

Japan’s pop culture, long relegated to nerdy enthusiasts, has exploded to become a mainstream export powerhouse. In 2023, exports of J-Pop soared to ¥5.8 trillion (approx. $40.6 billion), putting it on par with the semiconductor industry.

Here’s a snapshot:

• A surge from ¥4.68 trillion to ¥5.77 trillion in 2023 driven primarily by console games and anime.
• Anime alone generated $19.8 billion globally with $5.5 billion from streaming and $14.3 billion from merchandising.
• Nintendo drew nearly 78% of their $11.32 billion revenue from overseas.
• The Japanese government, recognising this momentum, aims to scale overseas anime and game sales to ¥20 trillion (~$129 billion) by 2033 as part of its “Cool Japan” initiative.

Bottom line: Japan’s cultural exports aren’t just culturally influential, they’re a rapidly growing economic juggernaut.

For investors and traders, the pathways are many:

• Public equities in creators and distributors,
• IP licensing and merchandising,
• Experience-driven revenue (concerts, events, fan platforms),
• And speculative collectible markets.

We’re taking a deep dive into the Asian phenomena and looking at how traders and investors can take advantage of this massive and growing market.

J-Pop Culture Phenomena & Investment Opportunities

Whether you’re buying stocks of companies, merch to sell on the secondary market or looking for long-holds, these properties aren’t just entertainment they’re investment ecosystems (games, films, toys, merch, streaming rights, theme parks).

Pokémon

• The franchise (games, anime, cards, films) has generated over $100 billion globally, making it the most valuable media franchise in history.
• Parent Companies: Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc. (via The Pokémon Company joint venture).
• Investment Angle:
• Nintendo (TYO: 7974 / OTC: NTDOY) — Pokémon game sales, Switch consoles, licensing.
• Merchandising and trading cards (secondary resale markets are thriving).

One Piece

• Eiichiro Oda’s manga and anime juggernaut, with over 520 million copies sold worldwide, plus a Netflix live-action hit in 2023.
• Parent Company: Shueisha (publisher), Toei Animation (anime).
• Investment Angle:
• Toei Animation (TYO: 4816) — owns rights to the anime.
• Licensing & streaming deals (Netflix’s live-action boosted franchise exposure).

Dragon Ball

• Still one of Japan’s most iconic exports, with a massive following in manga, anime, films, and merchandise.
• Parent Company: Shueisha (manga), Toei Animation (anime).
• Investment Angle:
• Toei Animation again is key.
• Merchandising, films, games tie-ins (Bandai Namco produces Dragon Ball games).
• Bandai Namco Holdings (TYO: 7832) — toys, figures, games revenue.

Naruto / Boruto

• Hugely influential anime/manga series, sustaining a multibillion-dollar franchise.
• Parent Company: Shueisha (manga), Studio Pierrot (anime).
• Investment Angle:
• TV Tokyo Holdings (TYO: 9413) — broadcast & licensing.
• Merchandising partnerships with Bandai Namco.

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

• The 2019–20 anime boosted manga sales past 150 million copies; its movie Mugen Train became the highest-grossing Japanese film ever.
• Parent Company: Shueisha (manga), Ufotable (anime), distributed by Aniplex (Sony Music Entertainment Japan).
• Investment Angle:
• Sony Group (NYSE: SONY / TYO: 6758) — owns Aniplex, profiting from anime sales, streaming, and merchandise.

Sailor Moon

• A 1990s anime that remains a global cultural icon, especially in fashion and merchandise
• Parent Company: Naoko Takeuchi (creator), Toei Animation (anime), Kodansha (publisher).
• Investment Angle:
• Kodansha Ltd. is privately held, but licensing deals extend globally.
• Toei Animation again for anime revenues.

Studio Ghibli Films (Totoro, Spirited Away, etc.)

• (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke) with global critical acclaim and enduring merchandising.
• Parent Company: Studio Ghibli (acquired majority stake by Nippon TV in 2023).
• Investment Angle:
• Nippon TV Holdings (TYO: 9404) — controls Ghibli’s film library & merchandising.
• Disney and Netflix distribution partnerships extend global reach.

Final Fantasy

• Square Enix’s RPG series with 180+ million units sold worldwide, blending gaming and music.
• Parent Company: Square Enix Holdings.
• Investment Angle:
• Square Enix (TYO: 9684) — iconic RPG franchises (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts).
• Revenue from gaming, mobile, and merchandising.

Hello Kitty

• Created by Sanrio, worth over $80 billion in brand value; it’s a lifestyle brand as much as a character.
• Parent Company: Sanrio Co.
• Investment Angle:
• Sanrio (TYO: 8136) — licensing powerhouse with character IP.
• Partnerships with fashion, retail, theme parks.

Attack on Titan

• Hugely popular anime/manga series, with significant cultural and political discussions worldwide.
• Parent Company: Kodansha (manga), Wit Studio/MAPPA (anime).
• Investment Angle:
• Kodansha is privately held, but MAPPA collaborates with Netflix and Crunchyroll.
• Licensing and merchandising is where third-party retailers & toy companies benefit.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

• From manga/anime to one of the most successful trading card games, selling 35+ billion cards.
• Parent Company: Konami Holdings.
• Investment Angle:
• Konami (TYO: 9766 / OTC: KNMCY) — Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, mobile apps, console games.
• Trading cards remain a lucrative secondary investment market.

Investor Takeaways

• Direct Equity Plays: Nintendo, Sony, Toei Animation, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Konami, Sanrio, Nippon TV.
• Indirect Plays: Retailers & e-commerce platforms (e.g. Amazon, eBay) benefit from secondary resale markets of collectibles.
• Speculative Plays: Limited-edition merchandise & collectibles (Pokémon cards, Demon Slayer figures, Labubu dolls).

Meanwhile, Elsewhere in Asia

Labubu, the quirky plush toy created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung, is now a global obsession thanks to Chinese retailer Pop Mart. In 2025’s first half, sales of Pop Mart’s Labubu-driven lines tripled revenue year-over-year (¥4.68 bn CNY or ~USD 560 million). The craze has catapulted Pop Mart into the Hang Seng Index in September 2025.

Collectors and teens treat Labubus as investments. As reported on Bloomberg, “People even as young as teenagers… trade Labubus as an investment and they think that they can make money off of collecting those dolls.” A rare Labubu even fetched $170,000 at auction.

South Korea is not far behind with their own cultural export engine with K-Pop. Spanning music, film, broadcasting, Korean-Pop amounted to $13.6 billion. K-Pop concerts and fan events are booming. The global K-Pop Events Market stood at $13.28 billion in 2024, projected to nearly $23.7 billion by 2032

Investors and traders will keep an eye on:

• K-Pop labels — public companies such as HYBE, JYP, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment offer exposure to music, merchandising, fan platforms, and live events.
• Pop Mart (Labubu) — listed in Hong Kong, surged into major indices with eyewatering growth. Signals strong speculative interest

Conclusion

What once seemed to be just about games, idol music and designer toys, has matured into serious economic ecosystems. Japan’s content exports now match semiconductor revenues, and K-Pop continues reshaping South Korea’s cultural and financial landscape. Labubu shows how fast design, scarcity, and fandom can turn a toy into a global investment story.

These pop-culture markets are not just about emotion, they’re firmly entrenched in global capitalism. Want to make the markets fun for your readers? Talk to our team about financial content that engages.