Japan Loses Billions in 2025 Due To Rampant Anime Piracy — Report
Japan has suffered a massive loss of $38 billion due to anime and manga piracy, according to a new report. The figure was released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry of Japan (METI) after a recent survey. The survey was conducted across six countries in 2025: Vietnam, France, Brazil, Japan, the United States, and China.
Japan reportedly suffered a $38 billion loss due to piracy last year
Recently, Japan’s METI released the results of a survey that was conducted in 2025 and disclosed that the country has suffered a $38 billion loss due to anime and manga piracy.
The survey report stated, “The cost of damage caused by piracy of digital content is projected to have tripled from 2.0 trillion yen in the 2022 survey to 5.7 trillion yen in 2025.” This suggests that the amount of loss has reportedly increased from $13.3 billion in 2022 to $38 billion in 2025.
The report also mentioned, “In addition, starting this fiscal year, a survey was launched into the cost of damage caused by online piracy of counterfeit character goods, which resulted in the cost of damage caused by piracy in 2025 being 4.7 trillion yen (roughly $30.68 billion).”
METI further conveyed that to stop the rise in anime and manga piracy, it will bring forth measures such as “establishing new bases for cooperation with local authorities, strengthening the system for litigation, strengthening measures against infringement of rights by generative AI and counterfeit character goods, and establishing a database of rights ownership to expedite litigation.”
Moreover, the makers of Jujutsu Kaisen also threatened legal action against those recording videos of the movie, Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory on X. They wrote, “The illegally recorded images and video footage of the ending of the current screening of ‘JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death – The Movie’ has been found on the internet. Filming a movie inside a theater is a crime under the Law for Prevention of Unauthorized Recording of Films (Film Piracy Prevention Law). If copyright infringement occurs in violation of the Film Piracy Prevention Law or the Copyright Act, penalties may include up to 10 years imprisonment, or a fine of up to 10 million yen, or both.”
Source: Comingsoon.net