Japan will take center stage at next year's Cannes market, business hub Cannes Film Festivalafter named Country of Honor 2026 – recognition that will allow the country to lead the market opening celebrations and organize a large-scale showcase of its film, animation and content industries.
The plans were outlined at a press conference during the ongoing Tokyo International Film Festival Junichi Sakamoto, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Japan, “Country of Honor 2026”, and Guillaume EsmiolExecutive Director of the Cannes Market. The 2026 edition will take place May 12–20, coinciding with the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
As the country of honor, Japan will co-host the market opening, an industry gala gathering more than 1,200 delegates from around the world, and will be featured in its flagship programs. A series of panels, networking sessions and project showcases will focus on Japanese animation, genre cinema and co-production opportunities. The program will also include a Japan Industry Summit and a screening day dedicated to new Japanese films.
“The title 'Honorable Country' provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the appeal of Japanese cinema on the world stage,” said Sakamoto. “We look forward to seeing Japan’s rich film culture, as well as its new talent and technology, shine even brighter internationally.”
Sakamoto noted that Japan's participation is aimed at deepening industry ties and promoting international cooperation. “This provides a great opportunity to strengthen ties with the film industry around the world and encourage co-productions,” he said.
Shiina Yasushi, vice chairman of the executive committee and vice president of UniJapan, who is also head of the Tokyo film market, added that Cannes will help demystify the Japanese production committee model for foreign producers. “We hope that international partners will gain a clearer understanding of how Japanese films are financed and developed, paving the way for more meaningful co-productions,” he said.
Esmiol added: “Japan occupies a unique place in international cinema and is one of the most dynamic countries in the Cannes market with very active sales companies and producers. Personally, as someone of Japanese heritage, this is a great opportunity to pay tribute to my cultural heritage.”
The initiative will be jointly organized by the executive committee, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), with UniJapan coordinating participation through the Japan Pavilion at Village International. Details of the program and participating companies will be revealed early next year.
At a briefing in Tokyo, METI's Satoru Hayasaka said the choice was consistent with Japan's updated “Cool Japan” strategy, which calls for 20 trillion yen ($131.47 billion) in foreign content revenue by 2033. Over the past decade, Japan's exports have quadrupled to 58 trillion yen ($381.26 billion), driven primarily by games and animation, but with growing potential in live-action. movie.
Producing about 1,200 films a year and attracting 150 million admissions annually, Japan's local market remains one of the most resilient in the world, with box office receipts exceeding 200 billion yen ($1.31 billion). Officials see Cannes 2026 as a chance to deepen international collaboration and position Japanese storytelling more prominently in the global market.
Japan follows Brazil (2025), Switzerland (2024), Spain (2023) and India (2022) as the fifth country to achieve the title since the Cannes Market launched its Country of Honor initiative to recognize outstanding national industries and foster cross-border partnerships.
