Betting big on Japanese content and storytelling, Netflix celebrated an ambitious slate of projects and collaborations with top local creators and talent at the Netflix Japan Festival 2021, proudly expanding on the slate of 90 Japanese Netflix titles already available to date.

Entertaining both audiences in Japan, which continues to be one of the most important countries for the growth of Netflix, as well as fans of Japanese culture around the world, Netflix is committed to bringing best in class stories and creators from Japan to audiences everywhere. This includes an ever-growing list of renowned filmmakers like Yoshihiro Mori (We Couldn’t Become Adults), Hitori Gekidan (Asakusa Kid), as well as with renowned animated film studios like Studio Colorido (A Whisker Away, Drifting Home) giving visionary talent an opportunity to share their inspiring stories with fans everywhere. In addition to the global success of Anime, Netflix is betting big on live-action and animated feature films originating from Japan with an increasingly diverse slate and roster of creators joining forces.

Kaata Sakamoto, Netflix, Vice President, Content, Japan said, “Our next big bet is expanding feature films. Japan is home to extraordinary talent who shape the cinematic history of the world. With creators as diverse as the ones we work with today, we’re excited to play a role in the history of great local talent finding their voices and delivering them to audiences everywhere”.

Netflix sees a growing interest in Japanese content by viewers everywhere, with Japanese titles like The Seven Deadly Sins, Record of Ragnarok, Ruroni Kenshin: The Beginning and more all reaching the Top 10 in over 50 countries in addition to over 120 million households that have chosen to watch at least one anime title — more than double the number of households in 2018.

Event highlights include:

During Day 1 of the event, Netflix announced The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh (part1 premiering 2022), a spin-off anime film project to the hugely successful manga and anime of the same name created by Nakaba Suzuki, who will also pen the upcoming sequel. Another hit series making a return will be Kakegurui Twin (premiering August 2022), a prequel to the hit Kakeguri, that tells the story of Mary Saotome’s gambling feats one year before Yumeko Jabami transferred to her school. Additional newly announced titles include TIGER & BUNNY 2 (premiering April 2022), two new titles from the successful Detective Conan spin-off (Coming soon) and The Orbital Children (premiering January 28, 2021). The upcoming anime will join previously announced projects like fan favorite JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN, which was introduced by a special music performance by Yugo Kanno as well as voice cast guests Fairouz Ai, Mutsumi Tamura & Mariya Ise who proudly revealed the December 1 premiere date (Episodes 1-12), Super Crooks (premiering November 25) which was introduced during a special panel with voice talent superstar Kenjiro Tsuda, who was also announced to be the main cast for Thermae Romae Novae (premiering 2022).

LOOK AHEAD OF EVENTS ON LIVE ACTION DAY 2 

On Day 2 the Netflix Festival Japan 2021 will continue with six star-studded panels for upcoming Japanese films and series as well as International titles including Hollywood blockbuster Red Notice. Netflix is set to introduce upcoming Japanese films We Couldn’t Become Adults (now streaming) and the long-awaited autobiographical tale Asakusa Kid (premiering December 9), as well as additional projects set for release in 2022, including the Netflix series The Journalist (premiering January 13, 2022), Fishbowl Wives (premiering 2022), He’s Expecting (premiering 2022), and First Love (premiering 2022), as well as the Netflix film Love Like the Falling Petals (premiering March 24, 2022).