ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews articles pertaining to business and the management of Japanese creative industries, and overviews the specific features of these unique Japanese business networks and the management of these industries. It presents a brief summary describing the managerial characteristics of Japanese creative industries demonstrating that they have developed regional, cohesive, and persistent business networks with their unique communities of practices based on a social capital perspective. The chapter outlines the recent development of business networks and management practices of major Japanese creative industries that are focused on films, video games, animation, and comics, as these sectors are the focus of much attention regarding the globalization of Japanese content. Given the widespread use of the Internet, the digitalization of content, and the respective decline in the distribution monopoly of mass media, the chapter suggests an emerging alliance across industries beyond that of mass media, resulting in the diversification of their businesses, including those businesses involved in character creation and promotion.
