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Japan’s ruling party forms group to back $2.1 billion trading cards market
The LDP group will work on rules targeting counterfeits and bulk resale, and aims to improve transparency to support overseas expansion.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers have formed a group to support the country’s rapidly growing trading card industry, positioning it as a globally competitive content sector, according to SCMP Economy. The group includes about 20 lawmakers and held its inaugural meeting in late July at Japan’s parliament.
The lawmakers said the effort will focus on improving the trading card environment by setting rules to address counterfeit cards and bulk purchases for resale, while also enhancing market transparency to help the sector expand overseas, SCMP Economy reported.
SCMP Economy also noted remarks from Seiji Kihara, a House of Representatives member named the group’s chairman, who said the industry can compete globally and emphasized the need for a healthy market. The meeting included briefings from industrial bodies and officials from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry about market conditions and challenges.
The Japan Toy Association data cited by SCMP Economy put the domestic trading card market at about 338 billion yen, or US$2.1 billion, in the 2025 financial year, up from roughly 88 billion yen in 2017. The coverage also linked the industry’s growth to tournaments and events across Japan and its role in regional development.