Tokyo Film Festival Opens With Big Money Dreams and a Peace Message
Japan's betting serious cash on exporting its culture globally — and they're not playing around.
The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival kicked off Monday with rain falling on the red carpet and a bold reminder: Japan wants to move $133 billion worth of its content worldwide by 2033. That's not just festival talk — that's government ambition.
The opening ceremony at Hulic Hall set the tone. This year the fest pulled nearly 1,900 submissions from 112 different countries and regions, which says something about how film is becoming a real soft-power chess move. Japan's not just throwing "Sukiyaki" (the opening film) on the screen for kicks; there's a strategy here. Entertainment is export now.
Beyond the numbers, the festival used the moment to push a peace message — which tracks when you look at global tension. Sometimes the biggest statement a film festival can make isn't about the movies themselves, but about reminding people why culture matters in the first place.
Japan's betting big on anime, film, music, and games as economic engines. Whether they hit that JPY20 trillion target or not, the push is real and the momentum's there.
Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/tokyo-film-fest-opens-sukiyaki-japan-content-goal-1236931066/
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