However, a new wave of 3-D animation is threatening Tokyo's position as the center of the world animation industry. For example, Sachiko Yoshino, a student of the Tokyo Designer Gakuin College, says "I'd always loved 2-D and wanted to work for Studio Ghibli. But after seeing Monsters, Inc. I switched allegiance to 3-D, which is not yet popular in Japan. Now I want to work for Pixar Animation Studios."

The Japanese anime industry will have to work harder to keep promising animators like Yoshino from seeking work abroad. For an industry that generates so much excitement for its viewers, anime remains relatively obscure in Japan. The industry faces a fresh challenge as animation newcomers China and South Korea develop their industries. Recognizing anime's great export potential as quality digital content in an era of broadband entertainment, Japan's central and local governments are taking action to empower the Japanese anime industry.