: The industry is dominated by the Big Four studios: Toho, Toei , Shochiku , and Kadokawa . While live-action films often struggle internationally compared to Hollywood, animated films frequently set box-office records domestically and abroad. Cultural Foundations

These agencies operate a Kenkyusei (trainee) system. Young teens (sometimes as young as 11) enter a boot camp for years, learning dance, media etiquette, and crisis management. They earn minimal wages while the agency takes up to 90% of their early earnings.