Tokyo Vice Producer and Netflix Executive Demand Clearer Rules for Japan Film Incentives

Alex Boden, the producer behind the HBO Max series Tokyo Vice, and Deb Richards, Netflix’s production policy director, called for structural changes to Japan’s international production incentive on Tuesday. The pair spoke at the Motion Picture Association’s annual seminar during the Tokyo International Film Festival, a venue where the government is also finalizing plans for a new agency to consolidate content-industry support.

Boden, who spent nearly two years in Japan filming two seasons of Tokyo Vice, criticized the current IP360 scheme. The program offers a 50% rebate on Japanese spend but requires a minimum expenditure of 800 million yen, or 5.1 million dollars. Boden argued this threshold excludes independent films and co-productions, noting that most domestic Japanese films cost between 1.5 million and 3 million dollars. He advocated for an automatic approval system to replace the current panel-based selection, which he described as subjective and opaque.

Richards echoed these concerns, stating that the criteria for approval are unclear to applicants. She noted that rejected candidates often determine the cause of their denial only by observing which projects were approved. "You can have a lower incentive, that’s fine, as long as it’s certain, as long as the criteria are clear," Richards said. She contrasted the Japanese process with the United Kingdom’s model, which includes a 0.5% ScreenSkills levy to fund training, a mechanism Boden also cited as a necessary addition to the Japanese incentive.

Paul Muller, the MPA’s VP of production policy for Asia-Pacific, presented data from Australia to illustrate the benefits of structured support. In Australia, international productions must spend at least 20 million Australian dollars and allocate 1% of their budget to training. Since that rule took effect in June 2023, over 20 million Australian dollars have gone toward training. Muller noted that the average cost of an hour of Australian television rose from 2 million to between 5 million and 6 million Australian dollars over the past eight years, indicating industry growth.

Georgina Pope, head of production at Toho Tombo Pictures, offered a more optimistic view of on-the-ground logistics. She reported that while permitting in Tokyo remains challenging, the city is becoming more accommodating to international shoots. Her team recently closed the road in front of Tokyo City Hall for a large car scene. Pope observed that Japan is beginning to recognize the value of a dynamic international film industry.

On the government side, Nakahara Hirohiko, director-general of the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Strategy Promotion Secretariat, announced that a task force for the new content body held its first meeting on October 22. The agency, ordered directly by the Prime Minister, aims to break down silos between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, METI, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government targets a launch in 2027.

The new body is part of a public-private roadmap drawn up in July that targets 20 trillion yen, or 127 billion dollars, in overseas sales by 2033. Amari Akira, a former METI minister, described the plan as an effort to quadruple the industry within a decade. He noted that while previous efforts relied on addition, the current government is pursuing multiplication. Muller concluded that if the discussed changes are delivered, the 2033 goal is well within scope.

The Tokyo International Film Festival’s new director, Hisamatsu Takeo, highlighted Japan’s recent prominence in the global market. Japan served as the country of honor at the Cannes Film Market this year, and 37 Japanese films screened at the recent Busan International Film Festival. These metrics underscore the growing international interest in Japanese content and production capabilities.