Japan’s Anime Studios Face Third Year of Rising Bankruptcies

The number of Japanese anime production companies that have filed for bankruptcy or closed operations is expected to rise for the third year in a row in 2025, according to a report by Teikoku Data Bank. In the first nine months of the year, two studios went bankrupt and six suspended or dissolved, bringing the total to eight; this echoes the 2018 peak. The report notes closures are not limited to secondary subcontractors but also affect major full-service studios. The underlying cause is framed as a “profitless boom”: surging anime production orders coupled with scarce workforce, rising costs, and foreign outsourcing, yet slim margins. Urgent measures are needed, especially in human-resource training and stabilising the production ecosystem.

Automaton West, Amber V – Anime studio bankruptcies and closures continue to rise for third consecutive year in Japan – 5th November 2025