Unlocking Japan’s Format Creativity Treasure Box

As part of its year-round efforts to support the Japanese content creation ecosystem globally, the Broadcast Program Export Association of Japan (BEAJ) is returning to MIPCOM to host its popular Treasure Box Japan (TBJ) format showcase.

“TBJ has become one of the most important gateways for Japanese content to reach the global stage at the international marketplace,” says Makito (Mak) Sugiyama, BEAJ’s Executive Director. “Launched as a dedicated showcase of unscripted formats in 2012, its positioning on the opening day of MIPCOM is no coincidence. Each year, more than 10,000 participants from over 60 countries gather in Cannes, and buyers are especially alert to fresh opportunities during the first sessions. By presenting world-premiere titles at this critical moment, TBJ ensures that Japanese formats are not only seen but also prioritized in subsequent business discussions and negotiations.”

Indeed, the event has expanded over the years in both the scale of Japanese participation and attendance. This year, ten Japanese companies will be showcasing their highlights—Nippon TV, TV Asahi, TBS, TV Tokyo, Fuji TV Network, NHK Enterprises, Yomiuri TV, ABC TV, MBS and Kansai TV—“bringing together an unprecedented lineup of creativity,” Sugiyama says. “It is also backed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, underscoring its role as part of Japan’s national strategy to promote cultural exports.”

Sugiyama adds, “Equally important is the participation of respected international commentators such as Fremantle’s Vasha Wallace and Small World IFT’s Tim Crescenti, whose feedback provides a global perspective and helps contextualize Japanese content for overseas buyers.”

TBJ is promising a diverse and eclectic mix this year, “underlining the creative breadth of Japanese broadcasters,” Sugiyama says. He stresses the curation process behind TBJ. “Buyers know that the titles chosen for TBJ are carefully selected for their international adaptability. Past TBJ editions have already showcased ideas that sparked co-productions and localized adaptations.”

And content discovery doesn’t end in Cannes, with the TBJ selections going into BEAJ’s extensive online Japan Program Catalog (JPC), the largest one-stop portal for Japanese broadcast content. “With more than 900 overseas buyers registered, the JPC ensures that Japanese titles are discoverable year-round and provides direct access to rights holders,” Sugiyama explains.

“This dual approach—live presentation at MIPCOM and online continuity through JPC—ensures that the excitement generated in Cannes translates into concrete opportunities,” Sugiyama says. “The 2025 lineup, with its bold mix of genres and strong international potential, embodies exactly what makes Japanese content stand out: creativity that is surprising, versatile and export-ready.”

The selection this year includes NHK Enterprises’ Just Circle It!, a visually engaging quiz; Nippon TV’s physical competition Mega Catch; Yomiuri TV’s multigenerational game show Six Genz Game; the TV Asahi dating reality show Love Time Travel; ABC TV’s comedy travel format Wait, What?; the TBS survival money game Infinite Loop; the genre-blending horror-meets-variety Reform Horror House from MBS; TV Tokyo’s SUMO KING; I Doubt it!, a psychological game show from Fuji Television; and the improv comedy The Laughing Throne from Kansai TV.

“These slates demonstrate Japan’s unique ability to combine entertainment with originality,” Sugiyama says. “There are lighthearted quiz shows, bold comedy formats, culturally rooted ideas like sumo-inspired competitions and even a horror-themed concept that pushes genre boundaries. By presenting such diversity in a single session, TBJ gives buyers an efficient way to explore multiple creative directions, all backed by the reliability and track record of Japan’s top broadcasters.”

Insights from TBJ feed into BEAJ’s year-round activities, says Masaru Akiyama, BEAJ’s Chief Executive of Business Management, “such as Drama Gems from Japan at ATF in Singapore, which spotlights scripted titles, and BEAJ’s activities at TIFFCOM in Tokyo, which engage buyers on Japan’s home turf. Through this multi-market approach, TBJ has evolved beyond a single showcase to become a flagship of Japan’s global content strategy, reinforcing the idea that Japanese creativity is diverse, innovative and ready to compete on the world stage.”

Akiyama and Sugiyama believe that content from Japan has carved out a unique identity in the global marketplace “by combining professional-driven performance, cultural distinctiveness and fearless experimentation. Unlike many international markets where unscripted formats often rely on ordinary participants, Japanese variety and entertainment shows traditionally feature professionals—comedians, actors, athletes and celebrities—who bring expertise, charisma and reliability to the screen.”

Constant innovation has also been paramount, Sugiyama continues. “Japan’s broadcasters operate in a fiercely competitive domestic market where originality is the key to survival. Producers frequently test experimental segments or quirky one-off ideas, many of which evolve into full-fledged series if they resonate with audiences. This creative cycle has produced formats that transformed the global TV landscape, including Dragon’s Den (Shark Tank), Iron Chef, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Ninja Warrior, to name a few. These shows demonstrate not only adaptability across cultures but also a capacity to inspire entirely new genres internationally.”

Plus, Akiyama says, there’s a sense of “playfulness and energy that global audiences find refreshing. As The WIT’s Virginia Mouseler, a moderator for this year’s edition of TBJ, observes, Japanese formats are ‘spontaneous, lively, colorful and uninhibited—totally in service to having fun.’ That uninhibited style has become a hallmark of Japanese entertainment, helping it stand out in an increasingly standardized global content market.”

That inherent innovation is being fused with a future-facing international strategy, Akiyama explains. “Co-developments with overseas partners, participation in events like ATF and TIFFCOM, and digital platforms like the JPC ensure that Japanese formats are not only unique but also globally accessible. This fusion of originality and strategy is what makes Japanese creativity not just different, but indispensable in today’s entertainment industry.”From its on-the-ground events at markets worldwide to its work in research and development behind the scenes, “BEAJ’s mission is not limited to promoting a few standout formats—it is about creating a sustainable ecosystem for Japanese content exports,” Akiyama says. “From TBJ’s unscripted focus at MIPCOM to ATF’s scripted spotlight and TIFFCOM’s domestic hub, our activities are designed to offer Japanese creators a wide range of opportunities to shine internationally. Each initiative reinforces the others, and together with the JPC, they create a coherent strategy that maximizes both visibility and business outcomes. In short, TBJ is a window into the diversity of Japanese creativity, but it is also a symbol of BEAJ’s commitment to building long-term partnerships and ensuring that Japan’s ‘treasure box’ of content continues to enrich audiences around the world.”