Lawmakers from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have established a group dedicated to promoting and protecting the country’s rapidly expanding trading card industry, which reached approximately 338 billion yen (US$2.1 billion) in the 2025 financial year, according to the Japan Toy Association.

The group, composed of around 20 lawmakers, aims to improve the trading card environment by addressing challenges such as counterfeit cards and bulk purchases for resale. It also seeks to enhance market transparency to support the industry’s overseas expansion.

Trading cards featuring characters from popular Japanese games, anime, and manga series like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! have gained significant popularity internationally in recent years.

At the group’s inaugural meeting in late July 2026, House of Representatives member Seiji Kihara, appointed as chairman, emphasized that the trading card industry "can compete globally" and highlighted the importance of fostering a "healthy market." Kihara, a former LDP election strategy chief whose son collects trading cards, noted that tournaments and events held across Japan underscore the industry’s role in regional development.

Representatives from industrial bodies and officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry provided briefings on market conditions and sector challenges during the meeting.

The trading card market has seen continuous growth since the 2017 financial year, when its size was around 88 billion yen.

Sources