"Anime is the 'intellectual' industry of Tokyo," says Masayuki Sakai, chief producer of the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2003. "China and South Korea are pouring government resources into animation and computer games. . . . Japan must follow suit and encourage anime as an export industry, to spread Japanese culture to the world and attract foreign tourists." This year, the four-day Anime Fair had 15,000 business visitors and another 50,000 general visitors. Overseas buyers flew in from Asia, Europe, and the United States.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has started making plans for a center for promoting the anime business and encouraging new talent. Ideas include a training center housing a film archive, support facilities for young animators, a business support center, and a children's area where kids can get firsthand experience at creating anime. Tokyo hopes to cooperate with private companies to make the city a global hub for the animation industry.