- Business
- Toei Animation Co., Ltd. (4816.T) produces, markets, and licenses animation content worldwide, encompassing television series, theatrical films, original video animations, and digital media; it develops character merchandise including toys, games, stationery, apparel, food products, and promotional campaigns; and offers broadcasting rights, packaged software sales via DVDs and Blu-rays, streaming distribution, and global licensing through subsidiaries in the United States, Hong Kong, and Europe. Iconic franchises include Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Saint Seiya, Pretty Cure, and GeGeGe no Kitarō, with operations spanning production studios in Tokyo and the Philippines targeting broadcasters, streaming platforms, merchandise partners, and international audiences. Founded in 1948 and incorporated in 1956 as a subsidiary of Toei Company, Ltd., the company maintains headquarters at 5F Nakano Central Park East, 4-10-1 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. In its recent 10-year roadmap unveiled in 2025, Toei Animation outlines a 70 billion yen investment in intellectual property growth, including 30 billion yen for globalizing flagship IPs like Dragon Ball and One Piece, tripling new IP creation to 40 titles with 25 originating overseas in markets such as North America, China, and Europe, and establishing two to three new studios across Asia within five years to address animator shortages and pioneer VR, AR, XR, and AI-enhanced production. Additional strategic initiatives encompass expanding Oizumi Studio with hundreds of new staff, a February 2024 licensing partnership with KessCo for One Piece and Digimon tabletop games and toys launching in 2024-2025, a 2025 investment in AI-focused Preferred Networks for storyboarding and animation processes, and targets of 200 billion yen in sales and 50 billion yen in operating profit by fiscal 2031, with 60% of revenue from international sources.