Fanplus selected for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Content Industry Growth Investment Support Project (IP360)" to accelerate the overseas expansion of Japanese artists and the formation of global fandoms.
Fan sites and fan clubs
2026.06.26
Fanplus Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Motoshi Sato), which operates fan sites for music artists, is pleased to announce that its "Overseas Expansion of Fan Club Business Model" has been selected for the "Content Industry Growth Investment Support Project (IP360)" promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and that it has been approved to receive a subsidy.
The Japanese government currently aims to expand the overseas market size for Japanese-made content to 20 trillion yen by 2033. To achieve this, it aims to create a virtuous cycle of strengthening development and distribution platforms and increasing investment, in addition to creating globally successful content, thereby transforming the content industry from a domestically focused industry into a growing industry that generates revenue on a global scale.
The "Content Industry Growth Investment Support Program (IP360)" is a support program established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to encourage these initiatives. Its aim is to accelerate the overseas expansion of Japanese content by promoting large-scale, medium- to long-term public-private investment, and it provides comprehensive support to businesses across the entire value chain of the content industry, including IP creation, content production, development platforms, distribution platforms, and overseas expansion support.
In particular, we position the formation of international distribution platforms and fandoms, as well as the global expansion of IP, as important growth areas. We aim to build a sustainable growth cycle that connects Japanese creators with fans around the world and reinvests the revenue generated into future creative activities.
Fanplus's efforts to build a global fandom foundation.
In recent years, Japanese music content has gained new fans worldwide, driven by the global popularity of anime, its spread through social media, and the proliferation of streaming services. However, for artists to continue their activities and grow internationally, it is essential that their music is listened to globally, that they can form a fan community, and that they have a system in place to generate continuous revenue and engagement.
Our company has been developing a comprehensive fan platform centered on fan clubs, tickets, and merchandise e-commerce, supporting the fan base building for approximately 700 artists. Furthermore, since 2017, we have been working to create connections with overseas fans by providing multilingual support, introducing overseas payment options, and developing membership courses for overseas fans.
Taking this adoption as an opportunity, we will further develop our existing overseas membership base, proactively acquire and cultivate overseas fans, and evolve into a global market-ready model that enables continuous revenue generation.
<Future Initiatives>
● Advancement of the global fandom base
We will enhance multilingual support, multi-currency payments, content distribution, and community features to build a "Direct-to-Fan platform" that directly connects Japanese artists with overseas fans. Furthermore, we will strengthen the mechanisms that support the acquisition, nurturing, and continued use of overseas fans through advanced data utilization and marketing functions.
● Supporting the overseas expansion of Japanese artists' fan clubs
Leveraging our accumulated expertise in fan club management and our overseas membership base, we will promote the overseas expansion of Japanese artists' fan clubs. By creating continuous connections with overseas fans and providing comprehensive support from fandom formation to monetization, we will support sustainable overseas expansion.
● Strengthening the global expansion system by utilizing overseas bases
Based in our overseas subsidiaries, Fanplus USA and Fanplus Korea, we will strengthen our collaboration with local artists and partners, and accumulate expertise in fan club management and marketing in overseas markets.
Furthermore, we will utilize the networks and expertise we have built locally to support the overseas expansion of Japanese artists, and by globally deploying Fanplus's strengths in "systems and operational capabilities," we will support the formation of fandoms rooted in each region.
Bringing Japan's fan club culture to the world
The project selected by our company aims to expand the fan club culture that the Japanese music industry has cultivated over many years to a global scale, and to build a new growth foundation for the Japanese content industry.
As interest in Japanese content grows in overseas markets, establishing a growth model that not only expands awareness but also generates sustainable revenue through building continuous relationships with fans will contribute not only to the growth of artists and content but also to strengthening the competitiveness of the entire Japanese content industry.
Leveraging the knowledge and business foundation we have cultivated, we will work together with artists, fans, and partner companies to create a positive cycle in which the value of content is reinvested into future challenges.
<Related Links>Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: Content Industry Pagehttps://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/contents/index.html
Selection result: IP360 -Toward 20 Trillion Yen-https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/mono_info_service/contents/2026/saitaku/list.html
*The company names and product names mentioned are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.