{"rewrite":{"id":"r_8ba4679114a84d43af247cd4","clusterId":"c_37b9541d3e414536b59c65ca","slug":"toei-animation-gm-says-anime-is-no-longer-exclusively-japanese","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Toei Animation GM Says Anime Is No Longer Exclusively Japanese","summary":"Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that the era of anime being made only by Japanese people is over, saying the studio aims to create works rooted in local cultures with creators worldwide. The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.","whyItMatters":"A senior executive at one of anime's foundational studios publicly rejects the long-held industry definition that anime must be Japanese in origin, signaling a possible redefinition of the term itself.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eToei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke said at the Cannes Film Festival that anime no longer needs to be made exclusively in Japan. Speaking to Variety while promoting the studio's upcoming feature \u003ci\u003eMonkey Quest\u003c/i\u003e, Asama stated: 'The era when anime was something made only by Japanese people is over. From now on, we aim to create entertainment works rooted in local cultures together with creators from around the world.'\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToei is the studio behind \u003ci\u003eDragon Ball\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSailor Moon\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOne Piece\u003c/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eDigimon\u003c/i\u003e, making it one of the most influential companies in anime history. Asama's comment, coming from a senior executive at such a foundational studio, carries more weight than a similar remark from a smaller company. It suggests that the industry's long-standing definition of anime as a Japanese-made product may be evolving from within.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Toei Animation GM Asama Yosuke says anime no longer has to be made in Japan: 'The era when anime was something made only by Japanese people is over.' The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.","twitterPost":"Toei Animation GM Asama Yosuke says anime no longer has to be made in Japan: 'The era when anime was something made only by Japanese people is over.' The remark from a foundational studio executive signals a potential shift in the industry's self-definition.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at Cannes that anime no longer needs to be made exclusively in Japan, saying the studio aims to create works with creators worldwide. The comment from a senior executive at the studio behind Dragon Ball and One Piece suggests the industry's definition of anime may be changing from within.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Cartoon Brew\",\"url\":\"https://www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/toei-animation-asama-yosuke-261465.html\",\"title\":\"Must Anime Still Be Made In Japan? Toei GM Asama Yosuke Doesn't Think So\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3513,"outputTokens":621,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779826553,"createdAt":"2026-05-22T17:17:23.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-22T17:30:54.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-22T17:30:54.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_37b9541d3e414536b59c65ca","canonicalTitle":"Must Anime Still Be Made In Japan? Toei GM Asama Yosuke Doesn’t Think So","representativeArticleId":"a_0b59108424afbaf830f2d242","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Monkey Quest\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"Toei Animation\"],\"people\":[\"Asama Yosuke\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-22T15:03:54.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-22T15:03:54.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-22T17:30:54.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Cartoon Brew","url":"https://www.cartoonbrew.com/anime/toei-animation-asama-yosuke-261465.html","title":"Must Anime Still Be Made In Japan? Toei GM Asama Yosuke Doesn’t Think So"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Monkey Quest"],"manga_titles":[],"studios":["Toei Animation"],"people":["Asama Yosuke"],"type":"news","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Toei Animation general manager Asama Yosuke told Variety at the Cannes Film Festival that anime no longer needs to be made exclusively in Japan.","Toei Animation is the studio behind Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, and Digimon.","Asama made the remarks while promoting Toei's upcoming feature film Monkey Quest."]}