UK’s Creative Industries thrive in Japan

The UK’s creative industries are continuing to grow in the Japanese market, statistics reveal.

From Beauty and the Beast and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them topping the Japanese box office, to music releases from UK exports Adele and Ed Sheeran flying high, the love affair that the Japanese have for the UK’s creative industries shows no sign of letting up.

As the UK welcomes Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week, the government has praised the work that our thriving creative industries sectors produce, making it such a positive global export.

Across film, music and video games the UK and Japan share a huge common interest. In 2016 Japan accounted for £325 million of the UK creative industry service exports, up from £226 million in 2015. These are any services that are exported including advertising and marketing.

Creative Industry export goods, which includes things like handbags, printed books, paintings and sculptures, to Japan in 2016 were also worth £155 million, which was up from £146 million the year before.