Regardless whether the denial is truthful (unofficial channels could be used for deniability), I think that Japanese government may be more willing than other countries to curb generative AI’s IP infringement for one simple reason:
Content is Japan’s 2nd largest export, behind only automotive.
The export of content reached ¥5.8 trillion in 2023, overtaking semiconductors (¥5.5 trillion) as the #2 category.
In 2022, 59% of visual content export (music not included) was video games. Anime was 31%, publications 7%, and film/TV the remaining 3%.
This should give Japan’s content industry, especially game publishers, enough political clout to influence relevant policy-making.
Sources: METI, and CESA via Famitsu
[Originally posted on 2025-10-05 Pacific Time]
