日本のエンタメを世界へ。ファウンダーバンク株式会社

Give a Japan-side partner a decision brief, not only a creative pitch

“We want to collaborate with a Japanese IP” is an ambition, not yet a proposal someone can approve. At FounderBank, a useful starting point is to separate licensing, sponsorship, co-production and investment, then identify the decision needed to move the project forward. The goal is not to claim a deal exists; it is to make the next discussion concrete.

Illustrative one-page brief: a small Japan pilot for an overseas original game (hypothetical)

• Purpose: Test how Japanese visitors respond to a new original game character.
• Scope: A limited in-person experience in Japan; merchandise and streaming rights remain outside the initial proposal.
• Budget: Separate planning, production, venue, talent and rights costs; show ceilings and unknowns.
• Rights: Identify the studio-owned IP separately from third-party music, performers and other materials; mark unverified permissions as pending.
• Decision: Ask a prospective Japan-side partner to evaluate fit, conditions and approval paths before making any commitment.

This is a planning example, not an existing project or an offer of guaranteed rights, financing or access. It is designed to help a studio CEO get a specific next-step response rather than a polite but noncommittal introduction.

Before Partnering with a Japanese IP: Five Items Overseas Companies Should Put in a Collaboration Brief

Many overseas game studios, brands, and event organizers want to work with Japanese anime, game, and character IP. In first meetings, talks often stall not because of a lack of enthusiasm, but because it is unclear what is wanted, where, by when, and with whose approval. A collaboration brief, even one to a few pages long, helps the other side make decisions. This article describes five items worth including. It is a general, practical outline; it is not a FounderBank-specific format, and it says nothing about the rights status of any particular work. Terms differ from project to project, so please confirm the final details between the parties.

1. Purpose and what success looks like

State what you want from the collaboration: raising awareness of a new game, adding a Japanese IP world to your brand's products, or building a program that supports event attendance. Write down in words what success would look like inside your company. If you set numerical targets, make sure you can back them with your own data.

2. Regions, media, and period

Say in which countries and regions, through which media (products, streaming, events, advertising), and for what period you want to use the work. This shapes the scope of the project and also feeds directly into how rights are organized, because permitted uses are usually defined by method, region, and period. Narrowing the first phase to priority markets and media, and listing expansion as a second-phase wish, makes the request easier to evaluate.

3. Budget, and what is included or excluded

Explain not only the total but what it covers: planning and production, fees for using the work, arranging performers or creators, and local operations or promotion. Mention exchange rates, taxes, and payment timing early. If the budget is not fixed, a range and a decision process is more realistic than a single figure. Quotes will often come with conditions, because many terms can only be confirmed after checking with the people involved.

4. Handling of rights and the approval contact

Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, in its copyright contract manual, distinguishes an assignment of copyright from a license. An assignment moves the copyright itself, and if you want rights in derivative works to be included, this should be stated explicitly. In a license, the rights holder keeps the copyright and the permitted uses are defined; for an exclusive license to a specific party, the period and territory should be written down. Commissioning a work does not by itself move the copyright to the commissioning party, and buying a physical copy gives you ownership of that copy, not the copyright. Moral rights cannot be transferred, so permission for changes should be agreed in advance. The Agency's copyright textbook also explains that using a derivative work, such as a translation or a film adaptation, requires the consent of the author of the original work as well as that of the derivative work.

In your brief, therefore, describe the intended uses (merchandise, streaming, advertising, event use), whether adaptation is involved, whether recording or streaming will happen later, who must approve, and how long approval is expected to take. Oral agreements easily lead to disputes, so putting agreed points in writing is recommended.

5. Schedule and decision-makers

List what must be decided by when, and who makes the final decision on your side. When several Japanese parties are involved, each approval step adds time. If you have fixed dates such as a release or an event, work backward to set targets for agreeing on the plan, checking materials, production, and final approval. Naming a single contact and sharing response deadlines also reduces delays, and so does stating your preferred communication methods across time zones.

What you can discuss with FounderBank

FounderBank's services page lists, among its areas, IP production that turns an overseas partner's concept into a work together with Japanese creators, and it notes that know-how gaps and complex contract and licensing procedures are common obstacles to overseas expansion. You are welcome to consult us even before your brief is complete. FounderBank does not promise that it holds rights to any specific work or character, or that any specific performer will appear. Feasibility and conditions are determined after confirmation with rights holders and others involved. This article is not legal advice.