Bringing Japanese Anime to Global Business: Revamped CA America Is Tackling North American Market
As Japanese anime establishes its dominance as a global cultural force, CyberAgent is aggressively pushing the boundaries of its overseas expansion.Recently, CyberAgent America relocated to Los Angeles and completely restructured our operations.We are evolving beyond traditional international marketing support into end-to-end global business production, taking direct ownership of licensing, merchandising, and brand tie-ups.
We spoke with CA America CEO Akira Ichikawa and COO Takeshi Yamamoto about the background of the transformation and the strategy.
Contents
Evolving from Marketing Support to Global Business Production
Evolving from Marketing Support to Global Business Production
- What drove the decision to completely revamp the U.S. operations and move your base from San Francisco to Los Angeles?
Ichikawa: Today, the success of the Japanese anime business heavily depends on whether a title can succeed internationally.CA America originally started as a marketing-focused operation dedicated to promoting anime titles across North America.
However, for nearly a year of operations, we repeatedly discussed internally the need for a local entity capable of handling the entire overseas business, not just marketing.
The goal of this pivot is to take full responsibility for global business production, covering distribution, merchandising, brand tie-ups, localization, and cultural adaptation.
While anime is surging worldwide, North America remains the largest region. We are fully committed to building a robust business in North America.
Major streaming services and licensees are concentrated in Los Angeles, making it the ideal location for in-person collaboration.
Time zone friction was another bottleneck—communicating with partners in South America from Tokyo capped our team at a single email loop per day.That makes approval processes painfully slow. By establishing our LA base, we can increase iteration speed across all of North and South America.
- What specific role does "global business production" entail?
Ichikawa: In short, it serves as an operational base to maximize IP value in international markets, centered in North America.We provide an integrated local approach across three functions: marketing to build demand, licensing to convert demand into revenue, and merchandising to deliver products and experiences to fans.
We then reinvest generated revenue, fan bases, and sales data into future titles and proprietary IP, building a continuous cycle of value creation in North America.
Marketing, Licensing, and Merchandising
- How is the international market dynamic shifting around Japanese anime IP?
Ichikawa: A key shift is the growing structural contrast between Japan and the other markets.
While almost all anime is accessible across multiple streaming platforms in Japan, overseas distribution is consolidated into major platforms, meaning not all of the 300 annual releases reach audiences equally.
Only a small fraction of Japanese anime reaches international audiences.Blockbuster anime thrive by partnering with major platforms. We will continue fueling those mega-hits, but we are equally committed to leveraging our marketing capabilities and networks to bring other titles to the world. We are going to establish ourselves as a comprehensive industry partner.
- What actions are you taking to build toward that vision?
Yamamoto: We are attacking this through three strategic pillars. First, we are evolving our marketing expertise into localization and cultural adaptation.Second, we are expanding licensing for media and products. We are building direct links with global streaming platforms while growing direct licensing deals with our network of nearly 100 global manufacturers.Third, stepping into product development instead of just licensing out rights.
Beyond these three levers, our ultimate goal is to launch an original business, created outside Japan.
- Are international anime demographics and preferences different from Japan?
Yamamoto: International fans tend to be younger than Japanese fans, primarily Gen Z and Millennials aged 10 to their early 30s. Driven by streaming adoption, the fan demographic is expanding rapidly.
Ichikawa: Merchandise preferences vary significantly by region. While acrylic stands and button badges perform well in Japan, apparel, anime figures, and plush toys dominate in the U.S.Europe leans into anime figures, while Latin America prefers apparel and stationery. By understanding local market nuances, we can confidently advise rights holders on localized creative approaches.
We are also building infrastructure by creating comprehensive style guides and digitizing oversight workflows to streamline production for manufacturers.By combining CyberAgent's strengths in creativity and technology, we aim to modernize legacy practices in the anime industry.
Ensuring fans get the products when they want builds engagement, drives business growth, and reinvests revenue in creators to produce the next great title. Creating this cycle is our ultimate mission.
- What initiatives has CyberAgent worked on to date in this sector?
Yamamoto: For the TV anime Kagurabachi, slated for broadcast in April 2027, we are collaborating with Shochiku Co., Ltd., with whom we serve as co-chief production partners, and other production committee partners.CyberAgent ran large-scale promotions tied to official announcements, hosting premiere screenings that drew roughly 1,000 fans each across major U.S. conventions, including Los Angeles and New York.
Moving forward, CA America will roll out physical merch lines and brand partnerships alongside marketing work.
Aiming to Build New Business
- Can you share your career backgrounds? First, what was Ichikawa-san's focus?
Ichikawa: I worked closely with Yamauchi, CyberAgent's President, from the founding of CyberZ through the launch of multiple ventures, including CyberZ USA.
As our Anime & IP business expanded, I stepped up to lead international anime operations, which naturally led to my current role as CEO of CA America.
- What was Yamamoto-san's career background?
Yamamoto: I established a news channel and merchandise business at ABEMA, led ABEMA Live, the global streaming service, and later managed international licensing at our Anime & IP Business Unit.
On COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing，where CyberAgent was the lead organizer, our team partnered with nearly 10 international distributors, driving over half of the total box office revenue outside Japan.
Co-produced by KADOKAWA and us, the TV anime The Summer Hikaru Died—which ranked in Netflix's Weekly Global Top 10 for two consecutive weeks—reinforces our confidence in overseas market growth.
However, we recognized that managing operations from Japan leaves substantial untapped market potential based on the strong demand.
These three focus areas represent novel industry approaches. By establishing this model, CyberAgent aims to deliver lasting value to creators, partners, and the broader anime ecosystem.
Ichikawa: Looking ahead, our goal is to build new businesses from here. Establishing local operations provides direct access to retail and distribution insights.
This data enables us to develop localized merchandising and ultimately launch native original content from here.If we can build IP that is born outside Japan and loved worldwide, that will become a completely new pillar for our business.
- How will this new organization roll out its operations?
Yamamoto: I am touching down in Los Angeles first to spearhead the setup. We are actively hiring local talent while maintaining seamless communication with our Tokyo team.Establishing new operations in North America is not an easy feat, but we will strengthen partnerships with longtime collaborators and industry pioneers to realize.
Ichikawa: Connecting anime's charm to commercial opportunity requires tailored strategies for each title and market, placing premium importance on production expertise.Combining and tailoring local marketing, direct manufacturer licensing, and digital supervision workflows represents our premier advantage.
This initiative requires passionate partners. We welcome individuals who love anime and want to build new tech-entertainment business models on the front lines. We remain committed to bringing Japan's exceptional IP to audiences worldwide.
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Cypic × CyberAgent: Designing the Future of Anime
—Leaders Discuss the Challenges of New Era
Since its founding in 2016, the animation studio Cypic has leveraged its strength in high-quality production to create numerous hit titles.Marking its 10th anniversary, the company rebranded as Cypic and joined the group as a consolidated subsidiary of the Media & IP business.
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