Netflix and Tokyo Vice producer urge reforms to Japan's film incentives

During a Motion Picture Association seminar at the Tokyo International Film Festival, industry leaders Alex Boden, producer of ‘Tokyo Vice’, and Debra Richards, Netflix’s APAC Content & Studio Production Affairs chief, called for improvements to Japan’s IP360 incentive scheme.

While acknowledging recent enhancements, such as increased funding and a two-year application window, speakers noted that the current minimum spend threshold of approximately $5 million (JPY 800 million) excludes many independent films and co-productions, which typically budget between $1.5 million and $3 million. Boden highlighted that major Japan-set productions like ‘Shogun’ and ‘Pachinko’ scouted in the country but ultimately filmed elsewhere.

To remain competitive, experts suggested lowering the minimum expenditure cap and replacing the current subjective, panel-based selection process with an automatic approval system to provide greater certainty for producers. Richards described the current criteria as “opaque,” noting that applicants often struggle to understand why projects are rejected. Suggestions included implementing clearer criteria and building industry training into the incentive model, similar to the United Kingdom’s ScreenSkills levy.