TIFFCOM Chief Says Japanese IP Boom Is Lifting Tokyo Market as AI Reshapes the Industry

TIFFCOM, the content market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, has been building its own identity as the festival raises its profile, helped by worldwide appetite for Japanese intellectual property. The market has drawn more exhibitors and visitors and has widened its seminar lineup, securing bigger industry names as speakers.

Managing director Kaori Ikeda says the momentum comes from several directions at once: the popularity of anime, the potential of manga and gameshow properties, and the success of Japan-related productions such as Shōgun. Interest in the country itself is also at a peak, with nearly 43 million people visiting last year. "Tokyo is probably one of the most fascinating cities in the world, and Japan is enjoying a boom. So definitely this supports our activities, because we are dealing with culture," Ikeda told The Hollywood Reporter while finalizing preparations a few days before the market opens.

Ikeda is in her third year in the role. Her earlier career included the Japanese independent distributor Asmik Ace, where she handled acquisitions such as Trainspotting and Dead Man Walking, a project with DreamWorks, and five years at the cable company J:COM.

One of her key initiatives is Tokyo IP Market: Adaptation & Remake. It was relaunched last year from Tokyo Story Market, which centered on book adaptations with Japanese publishers. The broader version this year brings in remake-rights holders including the film companies Toei and Shochiku and the toy maker Takara Tomy. Ikeda says it has major backing from the Japanese government and industry.

Japan was Country of Honour at the Cannes Marché du Film this year, and TIFFCOM took Tokyo IP Market there to present Japanese properties that could be adapted into film, games or other formats. Ikeda calls the venture a success that is likely to be repeated, saying it connected international producers with Japanese rights holders. She would like to involve smaller publishers with limited experience in the global market.

TIFFCOM recorded about 4,600 visitors and 300 exhibitors in 2025, a strong increase on earlier editions, and is expected to match or surpass those numbers this year. The session "Unlocking the Global Potential of Japanese IP" will feature producer Shinzo Matsuhashi, whose credits include Kokuhō and Kingdom, Steven Maeda of Netflix's One Piece, and Buddy Marini, head of Amazon MGM Studios Japan.

AI joins the program as a keynote for the first time. Executives from AGBO, Chris Brearton and Dominic Hughes, will give the Keynote: Technology and Storytelling, which Ikeda says the team is thrilled about. The Association of Japanese Animations will again present its annual industry data, and TV stations will share case studies of overseas format sales.

Ikeda also points to the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, now in its seventh year, which links partially funded projects with production partners. Two completed productions from last year will screen in the festival's Crosscut Asia+ section. The animated film The Violinist, which found an Italian partner at the 2023 event, won the top prize at Annecy this year.

The wider industry is changing, with short dramas winning audiences, including in Japan, streamers once seen as saviors trimming budgets, and AI causing disruption. "There are so many things happening in the market at the moment," Ikeda said. "So, we're looking at how to be a better place for the industry to have business meetings and also to network." TIFFCOM runs Oct. 28 to 30 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan.