2 minutes to read by  RBC Asian Equity team, M.Funaki Jun 26, 2025

We’re proud to present the latest in our ‘Asian takeaways’ series, where we share local insights on what’s happening across Asia-Pacific. From India to Indonesia, from Taiwan to Thailand, we give our views on the dynamic changes across the region, while showcasing our learnings from being ‘on the ground’ at company and site visits.

During a recent visit to Tokyo, the team noticed that international tourists dominated the hotels, with notable growth from Russia, the Middle East, and China despite the yen’s appreciation. Market disruptions from U.S. tariff policies weakened the Tokyo Stock Exchange, creating investment opportunities in defensive sectors like consumer discretionary, banking, and IT services, with intellectual property and gaming standing out as particularly popular areas.

In our full piece we discuss:

• Japan is a known powerhouse in relation to character and intellectual property (IP) generation and many Japanese characters - including Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and Godzilla - are becoming more popular around the world.

• Manga IPs in Japan are monetized through animations, movies, merchandise, and games, with expanding collaborations and a growing post-COVID toy market enhancing their profitability and long-term value.

• Other growing outlets for IP include crane games and capsule toy machines in addition to amusement facilities.

• Japanese IP management and monetization is fundamentally shifting, improving top lines and earnings profiles across the industry.

Get the latest insights from RBC Global Asset Management.

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