Arts & Entertainment
Overview
Leveraging its natural scenic backdrops and large pool of skilled creators – including those who have experience in the production of live-action media content – Sapporo has been promoting the creative industry, particularly the production of movies and TV dramas.
Sapporo is home to a significant number of game development and CG (Computer Graphics) animation production companies. Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. also used to have an office in Sapporo city. With the recent growth of the digital content market, more and more digital content production companies are establishing a presence in the area.
Sapporo is also known for being the home of Vocaloid characters, such as Hatsune Miku. The virtual pop idol Hatsune Miku is a leading figure in digital music culture from Japan. She is incredibly popular both domestically and internationally, and in 2024 she performed on stage at Coachella, one of the largest outdoor music festivals in the United States.
The Japanese content industry's overseas expansion has been growing steadily, and is expected to continue to increase market size in the future. The scale of the overseas market for Japanese content is estimated to total 4.5 trillion yen (around 29 billion USD) in 2021, and the consumption of Japanese content overseas, particularly games, animation, and manga, is on the rise.
Source: Secretariat for Intellectual Property Strategy, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, ‘Cool Japan’ Strategy-related Basic Materials, December 22, 2023
Key Areas
Film
Video Games
Anime
Art
Key Benefits
UNESCO Creative Cities Network ‘Media Arts City’
In 2013, Sapporo was recognized as a ‘Media Arts City’, the first city in Asia and the second in the world as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Strong Partnership Between Educational Institutions and Creative industries in Sapporo
Sapporo is home to many educational institutions and students with strong ties to the creative industries, and there are also active partnerships between vocational schools and creative companies in Hokkaido, such as G-Dreams, a joint career fair for the game computer graphics industry.
Sector Snapshot
No.1 in Japan
Sapporo – Attractiveness ranking of cities in Japan
Source: Brand Research Institute (BRI) Regional Brand Survey 2023
No.2 in Japan
Source: Sapporo City Economic & Tourism Bureau, Industrial Promotion Department, 2nd quarter Sapporo Film/Movie Utilization Promotion Plan, as of August 2021
No.3 in Japan
Source: Sapporo City Economic & Tourism Bureau, Industrial Promotion Department, 2nd quarter Sapporo Film/Movie Utilization Promotion Plan, as of August 2020
No.4 in Japan
Source: Sapporo City Economic & Tourism Bureau, Industrial Promotion Department, 2nd quarter Sapporo Film/Movie Utilization Promotion Plan, as of August 2020
Collaborative
Projects
Sapporo International Art Festival
Every three years, Sapporo holds a special art event where visitors can encounter the latest art from around the world.. A variety of exhibitions and projects are held at multiple venues around the city, attracting many visitors from both Japan and abroad, as well as local residents, who come to experience the city's cutting-edge art world.
https://siaf.jp/en/
Sapporo Film Commission
Sapporo is one of the most popular filming locations in Japan, and many foreign films and TV dramas have been shot here. Recently, some Netflix drama series have been filmed in Sapporo, and the number of tourists, particularly from within Asia, is increasing rapidly as TV and movie fans come to see with their own eyes the locations they have enjoyed on screen.
https://www.screensapporo.jp/
Sapporo Game Camp
This project aims to inspire the next generation of creators. It aims to promote digital entertainment by holding game development workshops and critique sessions for students in order to nurture future creators.
https://sapporo-gamecamp.com/
NoMaps
More than 100 conferences, exhibitions, and events are organized annually where startup companies and creators in the creative industry get together to try out future-oriented ideas and technologies in a hands-on environment.
https://nomaps.jp/
