Introduction
It has been reported that Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will use official development assistance, or ODA, to launch an initiative aimed at protecting Japan’s content industry, including manga, anime, and games, from piracy-related damage. The plan is to select around ten developing countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia, and support the development of copyright protection laws and human resources, with the aim of creating an environment in which legitimate products can be distributed more easily.
At first glance, ODA and anti-piracy measures for manga and anime may seem difficult to connect. This is because many people associate ODA with support for social infrastructure such as roads, ports, electricity, healthcare, and education. However, this latest move shows that the content industry is no longer merely a means of cultural outreach for Japan, but is becoming a core industry that generates revenue in overseas markets.
Anti-Piracy Measures Cannot Rely on “Enforcement” Alone
Japanese manga, anime, and games enjoy strong popularity around the world. At the same time, however, damage caused by illegal uploads on the internet and online sales of counterfeit character goods has become increasingly serious. The Japanese government has set a target of increasing overseas sales in the content industry to 20 trillion yen by 2033. However, if piracy remains widespread, overseas demand will not necessarily translate into legitimate sales.
What is important here is that anti-piracy measures cannot be reduced simply to shutting down illegal websites. If the operators of piracy sites are located overseas, enforcement within Japan alone has limits. In addition, if local copyright laws, investigative capacity, judicial procedures, and cooperation with private businesses are insufficient, it is difficult to continuously curb the distribution of illegal websites and counterfeit goods.
In this sense, the use of ODA this time reframes anti-piracy measures as an issue of developing the systems and human resources of partner countries. By combining the development of copyright laws, capacity-building for enforcement agencies, understanding of judicial and investigative practices, and consumer awareness activities, the initiative can be seen as an attempt to create a market environment in which legitimate content can properly generate returns.
Is This an Appropriate Use of ODA?
This policy may raise the question of whether ODA should be used to protect the interests of Japanese companies. ODA is originally intended to support the economic and social development of developing countries. Therefore, if the protection of Japanese content companies is brought too strongly to the forefront, the legitimacy of the assistance may be called into question.
However, the development of copyright systems also benefits partner countries. For local writers, video producers, game developers, musicians, and designers, it is important to have an environment in which their own works are not used without authorization. If copyright protection functions properly, local creators will also find it easier to receive fair compensation, which can contribute to the development of creative industries.
Therefore, this initiative needs to be designed not as “support that protects only Japanese content,” but as “development of a foundation for intellectual property protection that also includes the creative industries of partner countries.” Whether Japan’s interests and the development interests of partner countries can be aligned will determine the persuasiveness of the policy.
The Key Is Creating an Environment Where People Can Buy Legitimate Products
The spread of piracy is caused not only by weak enforcement, but also by poor access to legitimate versions. If official releases are delayed, local-language support is insufficient, prices do not match local income levels, or payment methods are limited, consumers may be more likely to turn to piracy even when they know it is illegal.
Of course, these circumstances do not justify the use of pirated content. However, if the goal is to seriously reduce piracy, it is necessary not only to crack down on illegal websites, but also to make legitimate options convenient and attractive. Alongside the development of copyright systems, it is essential to expand legitimate streaming and distribution, local-language translation, electronic payments, licensing businesses, and merchandise distribution.
The reports on this initiative also indicate an aim to build an environment for the distribution of legitimate products. This point is extremely important. Anti-piracy policy is not only a policy of prohibition, but also a policy of building legitimate markets. Whether enforcement and market formation can function as two wheels of the same policy will determine its results.
A New Stage of Content Diplomacy
Japan has long spoken of manga and anime as forms of soft power. However, this latest move indicates that Japan has entered a stage in which content is treated as a subject of diplomacy, trade, and intellectual property policy.
Japanese content is not merely popular overseas. It creates multilayered economic value through characters, stories, music, games, events, tourism, and merchandising. To protect that value, Japan needs not only domestic support for the creation of works, but also an institutional foundation overseas in which rights are respected and legitimate distribution can be established.
Anti-piracy measures using ODA are not visible infrastructure like roads or ports. However, legal systems, human resources, and enforcement frameworks that protect intellectual property are market infrastructure in the digital age. As the content industry grows across national borders, the importance of this invisible infrastructure will only increase.
Future Challenges
That said, there are several challenges that must be addressed for this policy to produce results.
First, it is necessary to understand the actual situation in each target country. The operating bases of piracy sites, servers, advertising revenue, payment routes, and the manufacturing and sales channels for counterfeit goods differ from country to country. Uniform training programs or awareness campaigns alone will have only limited effectiveness.
Second, it is important to determine how the results of the assistance will be measured. The effectiveness of the initiative should be examined using multiple indicators, such as the number of enforcement actions, the number of illegal websites shut down, the number of users of legitimate distribution services, the amount returned to rights holders, and the revenue environment for local creators.
Third, cooperation with private companies is indispensable. Even if the government supports institutional development, private businesses are generally the ones responsible for distributing and selling legitimate versions. Publishers, anime production companies, game companies, streaming platforms, payment service providers, and local companies must cooperate; otherwise, the shift from piracy to legitimate markets will not progress.
Conclusion
The use of ODA in this case is attracting attention as a new policy tool for protecting Japan’s content industry. It is significant in that anti-piracy measures are being treated not as a purely domestic issue, but as an issue of international institutional development.
However, the key to success is ensuring that the initiative does not stop at merely strengthening enforcement. It is necessary to develop the legal systems and human resources of partner countries, design the initiative in a way that also benefits local creators, and at the same time create markets where legitimate content is easy to access.
Now that Japanese manga, anime, and games are supported around the world, turning that value into sustainable industrial revenue requires not only the ability to deliver works, but also international mechanisms to protect rights. This latest move may become a turning point as the content industry shifts from “cultural export” to “international business supported by institutions.”