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Japan Creator
Support Fund

About the
Japan Creator
Support Fund

# About Japan Creator Support Fund

Overview

Using supplementary funds from the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ FY2023 budget, the Japan Creator Support Fund was established within the Japan Arts Council to implement initiatives aimed at nurturing creators and artists and enhancing the value of cultural institutions.

Leveraging this fund, the Support Programs for Creator Development & Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement provides flexible, multi-year support to foster the growth and development of the next generation of creators and artists, while strengthening the functions of cultural institutions that serve as platforms for their work and international outreach.

Additionally, under the FY2024 supplementary budget, a new initiative titled the Creator Support Program (Program Development & Implementation) has been launched. This program supports universities, vocational schools, and other institutions in developing and implementing curricula that cultivate the skills needed by students and professionals aiming to succeed internationally as creators. By fostering collaboration among industry, government, and academia—and in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which supports business operators—the program significantly strengthens efforts to develop globally competitive talent in the content sector and promote their work internationally.

Public Announcement (PDF)*

Under the FY2024 supplementary budget from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Japan Creator Support Fund for Entertainment, International Outreach Program (Long-Term Projects) will be implemented. This program supports the production of visual works by:

  1. Providing partial subsidies for pre-production costs—such as planning and development, securing financing, and acquiring partners—to encourage early-stage production efforts with international distribution in mind and promote deal-making.
  2. Offering partial subsidies for high-quality productions, including actual production and post-production processes, to foster the creation of internationally competitive works and strengthen the financial foundation of production companies.
Public Announcement (PDF)*
Agency for Cultural Affairs website*

* Japanese language only

About the Programs

Support Programs for Creator Development & Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement

1. Creator & Artist Development Support Program (Duration: 3 years / Budget: 4.5 billion yen)

This program supports integrated activities by the next generation of creators in artistic fields including Japan’s globally acclaimed manga, games, anime, music, contemporary art, and traditional performing arts. Support covers everything from the planning, negotiation, production, and presentation of works and performances to overseas expansion.

Past Calls for Proposals (Subsidy Type)*
Past Calls for Proposals (Commissioned Type)*

2. Support Program for Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement (Duration: 3 years / Budget: 1.5 billion yen)

This program promotes the development of functions of museums, theaters, concert halls, and other cultural facilities that enable them to serve as bases in Japan for the activities of young creators and artists with global potential, and as hubs that add new, high value to those activities.

Past Calls for Proposals*

Creator Support Program (Program Development & Implementation) (Duration: 3 years / Budget: 9.5 billion yen)

To promote domestic and international creative activities across various content production fields through collaboration among universities and other educational institutions, companies, and relevant industry organizations, this program provides flexible multi-year support for the development and implementation of training programs, including practical experience in international settings, designed to help students and working professionals seeking international careers acquire the skills they need.

Past calls for Proposals*

Consortium Creation for Next-Generation Digital Distribution Platforms for Manga and Content

Through collaboration among industry, academia, and government, this program advances comprehensive, multi-year initiatives to develop the infrastructure for taking content overseas, including manga and other fields with strong growth potential, while developing the talent needed to support it and creating an environment for fair compensation for creators.

Japan Creator Support Fund for Entertainment, International Outreach Program (Long-Term Projects) <An initiative of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)> (Duration: 2 years / Budget: 2.5 billion yen)

To help businesses promote works globally, this program provides support in the game, anime, and live-action fields for pre-production work, including the preparation of project proposals, scripts, and pitch videos prior to full-scale production, as well as for the production and post-production of high-quality works.

Past calls for Proposals*

Incentive Program for Content Industry Growth Investment (IP360)
FY2025 Supplementary Budget / Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Project

Incentive for the following categories under this incentive program will be provided through the Japan Creator Support Fund.

– Menu 3: Large-Scale Production Incentive (General Incentive)

In tandem with business model restructuring, this incentive category provides assistance for the development and production of large-scale works targeting overseas markets by production companies with the potential to generate global hits, with the aim of creating globally successful IPs, increasing compensation for creators and related professionals, and accumulating digital assets.

– Menu 4: Large-Scale Film and TV Production Incentive (Location Shooting Incentives)

With the aim of creating live-action works with global hit potential and attracting large-scale location shoots that facilitate the transfer of know-how from overseas studios, this incentive category provides assistance to Japanese production companies partnering with overseas studios for location shooting in Japan and advanced post-production work, e.g., VFX, carried out in Japan.

– Menu 5: Distribution Platform Expansion Incentive

By rapidly expanding both (1) works for overseas markets and (2) overseas fan bases, and by supporting (3) collaboration across platforms to enhance competitiveness, this incentive category helps secure international distribution networks for Japanese distribution platforms and develop an environment where Japan-originated works can generate revenue globally and reinvest it in a virtuous cycle.

Past calls for Proposals*
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry website*

Related Materials

Support Programs for Creator Development & Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement Program Overview

Program Outline (PDF)*
Overall Strategy for
Overseas Expansion (PDF)*
Logic Model: Creator & Artist Development Support Program (PDF)*
Logic Model: Support Program for Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement (PDF)*

Creator Support Program (Program Development & Implementation) Overview

Program Outline (PDF)*
Logic Model: Creator Support Program (Program Development & Implementation) (PDF)*
Public Announcement (PDF)*

* Japanese language only

About the Logo

The logo is inspired by a flat plane, symbolizing Japanese creators expanding beyond borders. Representing limitless growth in all directions, it reflects a new wave of creativity from Japan onto the global stage.

Japan Creator Support Fund

Download Brochure

Click the button on the right to download the Fund’s brochure.

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