Yasushi Shiina and Kaori Ikeda highlight international co-productions, IP development and new business opportunities as TIFFCOM strengthens its role in the global content industry.
TIFFCOM is reinforcing its position as a platform for international partnerships, bringing Japanese intellectual property together with global buyers, producers and distributors while expanding opportunities for co-productions across markets. For CEO Yasushi Shiina and Managing Director Kaori Ikeda, the priority for the 2026 edition is to help international players establish meaningful connections with Japanese companies and turn them into concrete business results.
Expanding the reach of Japanese IP
The Tokyo IP Market continues to broaden its scope as international demand for Japanese properties grows. Ikeda highlighted the impact of the initiative co-organized by TIFFCOM and the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival in May, which helped introduce the market to professionals across Europe and Hollywood.
“Through this initiative, awareness of TIFFCOM and the Tokyo IP Market was significantly raised among industry professionals across Europe and Hollywood, paving the way to welcome leading buyers to Tokyo in October,” she explained.
Participation is also expanding beyond manga, novels and traditional adaptation and remake rights. The market now encompasses a broader range of IP holders, including toy companies, while open pitching sessions give participants the opportunity to present their properties to potential partners.
These presentations are supported by advance preparation and training, helping participants strengthen their pitching skills and improve the way they communicate the potential of their IP to the international industry.
Co-productions that lead to concrete results
International co-production remains a key area of development for TIFFCOM. Ikeda cited the TV anime series Pino & Shinoby, co-produced by Yomiuri TV and Italy’s Studio Bozzetto, as an example of how relationships initiated at the market can lead to actual projects.
“The TV anime series ‘Pino & Shinoby’, a co-production between Yomiuri TV and Italy’s Studio Bozzetto, was born from an initial connection made at TIFFCOM,” she said. “International co-production is no simple task, and the swift initiative taken by both companies to bring this project to fruition is truly commendable.”
To facilitate further collaborations, TIFFCOM continues to develop specialized programs such as the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (TGFM) and Tokyo IP Market: Adaptation & Remake (TIPM). These initiatives connect buyers and sellers with producers and investors, while conferences and case studies provide insights into production and financing.
Ikeda also pointed to results emerging from TGFM, established to support creator-driven projects and international co-productions. Two projects from the market have already been completed and selected for this year’s film festival.
One example is The Violinist, which participated in TGFM in 2023 and won the Cristal Award (Grand Prix) at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Festival. Its Italian co-production was made possible through an initial connection at TGFM.
This year, TIFFCOM is collaborating with Frontières, the international co-production market of Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival, to reinforce its focus on genre projects. “We are strengthening our focus on genre projects, a particular strength of Asia, and we warmly encourage everyone to take notice of these exciting titles,” Ikeda added.
Technology, storytelling and changing buyer needs
Technology is another important focus for TIFFCOM 2026. Shiina noted that AI and other digital tools are influencing multiple areas of the content business.
“Technologies including AI are impacting not only production efficiency, but also localization, rights management, and the speed of global expansion, making them a paramount focus across the global industry today,” he said.
The market will address these developments through the keynote session “Technology and Storytelling,” featuring Chris Brearton, Partner, and Dominic Hughes, Chief Scientific Officer, from AGBO, the Hollywood studio behind the Avengers films. The session will explore how AI, machine learning and other tools can serve creators while respecting their work.
Meanwhile, Ikeda sees further changes in the distribution landscape as platforms and content offerings become increasingly segmented.
“Both the fragmentation of distribution platforms and the segmentation of content are accelerating, and we expect more short-form dramas to be traded and increasing participation from companies offering AI and data analytics solutions,” she said.
She believes Japanese content is well positioned to meet these evolving needs. “Japanese content has traditionally been highly diversified and offers a vast volume of properties, making it well-positioned to supply content tailored to these segmented markets. Going forward, the key will lie in how accurately we can convey comprehensive content information.”
Beyond anime and scripted drama
TIFFCOM is also encouraging international buyers to explore Japanese unscripted programming and entertainment formats beyond the country’s established animation and drama exports.
Japan has internationally recognized properties such as SASUKE, known globally as Ninja Warrior, but Ikeda emphasized the opportunities available through regional broadcasters as well.
“While building connections between regional stations and overseas partners is not always easy, nine broadcasters with distinctive content are gathering at the BEAJ booth this year,” she said. “We encourage international buyers and producers to discover their content and book meetings with them.”
A platform for international partnerships
Held alongside the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), TIFFCOM brings together companies from film, television and streaming, offering a broad range of content, formats and intellectual property.
Shiina sees this cross-sector environment as a major advantage for the market. “Amid the global expansion of production and business that crosses the lines between these industries, TIFFCOM’s ability to facilitate broad networking and business negotiations across both film and television presents a major advantage for buyers, distributors, IP holders, and producers,” he explained.
The market also aims to strengthen connections across Asia while maintaining its role as Japan’s comprehensive B2B audiovisual content marketplace. “Showcasing Japan’s outstanding content to the world and advancing collaboration with Asia serves as our twin pillars, and we will continue to deepen our ties with organizations and markets across various countries,” Shiina said.
Taking place after MIPCOM, TIFFCOM also offers international executives an opportunity to continue discussions initiated in Cannes. “Content deals are rarely finalized in a single meeting; building relationships and maintaining ongoing discussions are essential,” Shiina noted. “A stop in Tokyo provides the opportunity to meet in person with Japanese executives, taking the negotiations started in Cannes a step further and building even stronger partnerships.”
For the 2026 edition, the objective is to make these connections translate into tangible outcomes. “One of our primary goals this year is to make TIFFCOM a platform where international partners can team up with Japanese players to achieve tangible results,” Shiina concluded.
Alongside participation figures and the number of overseas attendees, TIFFCOM will continue to measure its success through the diversity of countries and regions represented and the satisfaction of international professionals visiting Tokyo.
