Tokyo Vice Producer and Netflix Executive Push for Major Changes to Japan's Production Incentive

Alex Boden, the London-based producer behind HBO Max’s ‘Tokyo Vice,’ and Deb Richards, Netflix’s production policy director, called for major changes to Japan’s international production incentive during a panel at the Motion Picture Association’s annual seminar at the Tokyo International Film Festival. They argued that the current system, with its minimum spend of JPY800 million and panel-based selection, makes Japan one of the few territories with a subjective incentive, which creates uncertainty for producers. They pointed to the U.K.’s 0.5% ScreenSkills levy as a model for clearer rules and automatic approvals. Paul Muller, the MPA’s VP of production policy for Asia-Pacific, said the government was moving toward two-year financing and higher thresholds. Nakahara Hirohiko, director-general of the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Strategy Promotion Secretariat, announced that a task force on the new entity held its first meeting on Oct. 22, with the goal of launching it in 2027. The plan forms part of a public-private investment roadmap drawn up in July, which targets JPY20 trillion in overseas sales by 2033.

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A photorealistic news photo scene showing a panel discussion with a producer and a Netflix executive seated at a table, surrounded by stacks of documents and a laptop, in a bright, modern conference room with large windows and natural light streaming in.

Alex Boden, the London-based producer behind HBO Max’s ‘Tokyo Vice,’ and Deb Richards, Netflix’s production policy director, called for major changes to Japan’s international production incentive during a panel at the Motion Picture Association’s annual seminar at the Tokyo International Film Festival. They argued that the current system, with its minimum spend of JPY800 million and panel-based selection, makes Japan one of the few territories with a subjective incentive, which creates uncertainty for producers. They pointed to the U.K.’s 0.5% ScreenSkills levy as a model for clearer rules and automatic approvals.

Paul Muller, the MPA’s VP of production policy for Asia-Pacific, said the government was moving toward two-year financing and higher thresholds.

Nakahara Hirohiko, director-general of the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Strategy Promotion Secretariat, announced that a task force on the new entity held its first meeting on Oct. 22, with the goal of launching it in 2027.

The plan forms part of a public-private investment roadmap drawn up in July, which targets JPY20 trillion in overseas sales by 2033.