Japan Lawmakers Form Coalition to Boost Popular Trading Card Industry

August 1, 2026 | 01:02 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several lawmakers from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party have formed a coalition to promote the rapidly growing trading card industry, which is seen as having global competitive potential.

As ANTARA reported, the group of 20 legislators is working to improve the trading card industry ecosystem by creating regulations and addressing related issues such as counterfeit cards and bulk purchases for resale. The coalition also aims to increase market transparency to support the industry's global expansion.

In recent years, popular trading cards featuring characters from Japanese games, manga, and anime, such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, have become increasingly popular among international fans.

At the coalition's inaugural meeting in late July, Japanese lawmaker Seiji Kihara, who was appointed as the chair, said the trading card industry "can compete globally," but a "healthy market" must also be established.

As the father of a son who also collects trading cards, Kihara added that the tournaments and related events held across Japan emphasize the important role the trading card industry plays in driving regional development.

At the same meeting, representatives from industry bodies and officials from Japan's Ministry of Economy and Trade outlined market conditions and challenges facing the trading card sector.

Meanwhile, according to the Japan Gaming Association, the domestic trading card market is expected to reach 338 billion yen in the 2025 fiscal year starting in April. This figure shows continuous growth since 2017, when the trading card market value was at 88 billion yen.

The coalition said that the growing value of trading card assets is creating new problems, including an increase in counterfeit cards, fraudulent card sales, and the use of trading cards for money laundering.

The group also emphasized the importance of establishing an industry framework, given that efforts to improve collectible card trading practices have so far relied on individual retailers and collectors to take action.

Read: Why Japan Sees Lowest Citizen Population in 42 Years

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