Japan Creator Support Fund Boosts Global Creative Impact

The Japan Creator Support Fund, a government-backed national initiative now in its third year, is generating tangible international outcomes for Japanese creators and cultural institutions. At a progress report meeting held on June 5, 2026, at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Tokyo, officials highlighted awards, nominations, co-productions, and expanded opportunities across music, film, games, and the arts. Supported projects have been implemented across 23 countries and regions, fostering new forms of international collaboration. Key achievements include selections at the Berlin International Film Festival, Cannes Directors' Fortnight, and Annecy International Animation Film Festival; performances at London's Royal Opera House; and new partnerships with overseas organizations. The event featured presentations from four organizations: the Japan Performing Arts Solidarity Network (SOIL Fellowship Program), Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (TMT Gear), KINEMA CIRTUS (Global Anime Challenge), and Jikei Gakuen School Corporation (Immersive Media Lab++). These projects reported progress in cultivating producers, enhancing global presence in performing arts, nurturing animation talent, and developing immersive content creators. Detailed results for FY2025 include 544 creators supported under the Creator & Artist Development Support Program, with 165 overseas performances/exhibitions and total attendance of 873,761 across 23 countries. The Support Program for Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement supported 133 creators, with 92 domestic and 5 overseas events reaching 1.9 million attendees across 8 countries. The Creator Support Program (Program Development & Implementation) facilitated overseas study visits to approximately 15 countries including Africa. Looking ahead to FY2026, organizations plan full-scale overseas exhibitions, performances, and collaborative initiatives, building on recent successes such as the National Ballet of Japan winning Outstanding Company at the UK's National Dance Awards and the selection of animated films at major festivals. For more information, visit the official Japan Creator Support Fund website at https://creator.ntj.jac.go.jp/en.

The progress report meeting opened with remarks from Vice Minister Shigeki Kobayashi, who emphasized that creators and artists are the source of compelling content. The Japan Creator Support Fund, delivered through the Japan Arts Council, aims to nurture emerging creators, strengthen cultural institutions, and promote international exchange. Since its establishment in FY2024, the fund has operated support programs for creator development and cultural facilities function enhancement. From FY2025, the Creator Support Program has additionally supported educational institutions through industry-academia-government collaboration. The fund's impact is evident in growing international engagement, with projects generating co-productions, institutional partnerships, and expanded networks across Asia, Europe, North America, and beyond. The four organizations presenting at the meeting showcased diverse approaches: the SOIL Fellowship Program cultivates producers to strengthen Japanese performing arts globally; TMT Gear enhances international presence through creator development and technical training; the Global Anime Challenge provides internships at overseas animation studios; and Immersive Media Lab++ collaborates with XR company STYLY to develop immersive content creators. These initiatives are building a solid foundation for full-scale overseas expansion, with FY2026 activities including performances at the Beitou Art Festival in Taiwan, a dance performance in Slovakia, and an exhibition in Venice.

The Japan Creator Support Fund's success is reflected in recent international achievements. Under the New National Theatre, Tokyo's project, the National Ballet of Japan was named Outstanding Company at the UK's National Dance Awards 2025 after staging Giselle at London's Royal Opera House. Shochiku's kabuki expansion program held joint lectures with Korean pansori artists and launched a European tour of How an Onnagata Is Made. Under UNIJAPAN's Film Frontier program, Hanarokushō ga Akeru Hi ni was selected for competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Housenka was selected for Annecy. Under CG-ARTS's program, Eri was selected for Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. The Mori Art Museum's exhibition on Sou Fujimoto attracted 236,705 visitors and will tour Asia in 2026. These outcomes demonstrate the fund's role in elevating Japanese creative industries on the global stage, providing opportunities for creators to reach new audiences and build sustainable international careers.