The Japanese government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is reportedly set to offer 15 companies a new “overseas promotion” subsidy aimed at expanding Japan’s original manga, anime, and live-action markets. According to the new report, METI’s $70 million subsidy package will be offered to nine anime and manga publishers and aims to “encourage” them to use generative artificial intelligence for translations, in a bid to pump out content faster in foreign markets.
Per The Yomiuri Shinbun’s report, METI’s currently unannounced 11.5 billion yen (roughly $70 million) subsidy package will most likely be offered to Crunchyroll, Shueisha, Kodansha, Square Enix, and Bandai Namco. Supposedly, the METI intends to encourage these nine publishers to use generative AI for translations in the hopes that it will curb piracy, as unofficial translations are reaching overseas viewers at a faster rate than official ones.
As of this writing, the METI has not officially revealed any such subsidy program. However, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given the numerous AI-related government programs announced by the ministry in 2026. For instance, on June 4, the METI and the Japanese government’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) announced that sixteen new projects were being added to its Generative AI Accelerator Challenge program, with the hope that it would combat “labor shortages.”
However, The Yomiuri Shinbun’s report also stated that six of the non-manga and anime companies set to receive the subsidy package will include “music, gaming and live-action” related companies. It’s currently unclear which six companies will be offered the subsidy, or how exactly it will be divided between the three sectors. That being said, considering that video game publishers Square Enix and Bandai Namco will reportedly be offered the subsidy package, the METI may be hoping companies will double-dip in this regard.
