Abstract

This paper aims to give an overview of the cultural and creative industries in Japan. Why and how have creative industries attracted attention in Japan? How do industrial and cultural policies intervene in the market of creative industries? To clarify these questions, I look at the history and background of policies for creative industries in Japan, which might differ from those in European countries. For evaluating the effectiveness of the policies, I look at the definition and the economic scale of creative industries in Japan. Is the market size of Japanese creative goods expanding? Do intellectual property rights work well? The issues of the policies will be discussed.