TOKYO - Japan’s content market has reached a record high as companies increasingly transform popular characters and stories into immersive experiences that allow fans to step inside the worlds of their favorite works.
Hotel Floria Tokyo, an immersive Sanrio attraction, opened in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district on July 15. After checking in at reception, visitors enter a fantasy hotel filled with rooms and settings inspired by Sanrio characters.
The attraction features 11 areas where visitors can experience the atmosphere surrounding their favorite characters. These include a warm, gentle room reflecting My Melody’s personality and a beach recreated with a giant screen and real sand.
Tatsuya Yoshioka, an executive officer at Sony Creative Products, said the attraction offers an experience rarely seen in Japan. "One of the main attractions is that visitors can immerse themselves in the characters’ worlds while taking a room tour featuring Sanrio characters, which led us to organize this event," he said.
The expansion of characters and creative works into physical experiences is becoming an important part of the intellectual property business. Japan’s content market exceeded 15 trillion yen in 2024, its largest size on record.
China’s market is considerably larger, exceeding 40 trillion yen, nearly three times the size of Japan’s.
BilibiliWorld, one of Asia’s largest exhibitions covering anime, manga and games, opened in Shanghai on July 10 with about 170 participating companies. Large numbers of cosplayers began arriving at the venue early in the morning.
Visitors appeared in costumes including Kamen Rider Agito’s Shining Form and Kanao Tsuyuri from Demon Slayer, enjoying the event in outfits inspired by their favorite characters.
About 400,000 tickets sold out in just two minutes. Fans gathered around a giant Gundam display, while visitors at the Sanrio booth took photographs with characters.
At the Demon Slayer booth, participants could experience a training exercise using motion-capture technology, with artificial intelligence determining how successfully they completed the challenge.
Japanese content continues to attract strong support in China even as worsening relations between Japan and China have prevented some Japanese anime and movies from being screened.
Industry officials say events such as BilibiliWorld are important for maintaining long-term interest in Japanese works.
Shizuka Kurosaki, general manager of Aniplex’s China operations, said the company spent considerable time preparing the exhibition because it places great importance on ensuring that audiences continue to love its works. "We are displaying our content in this form again, and we want to continue these efforts," she said.
Source: FNN
