"Crisis Approaches Japan Due to Korea"... 'Manga Heaven' Japan Also Embraces Webtoons as Trend

More than Half of the Comic App Market Occupied by Naver Webtoon and Others
Share House Opened for Aspiring Webtoon Artists

The influence of Korean webtoons is growing in the Japanese manga industry, once known as the "manga paradise" that dominated the global comic market.

On the 2nd, the Japanese weekly magazine FLASH reported, "A crisis is looming over Japan, the manga powerhouse, due to the rise of webtoons," noting that in the Japanese manga app market, Naver Webtoon's Japanese service Line Manga and Kakao Piccoma (formerly Kakao Japan) hold nearly half of the market share.

FLASH cited the intuitive consumption of webtoons as a key factor in their popularity. Japanese manga, with its unique reading style that goes from the top right to the bottom left in a reverse Z pattern, is difficult to read on smartphones. In contrast, webtoons can be intuitively consumed by simply scrolling vertically without zooming in, making them easily accessible across many countries.

This webtoon craze is directly linked to an increase in aspiring webtoon artists. According to a survey conducted last May by Japanese consumer trend research firm MMD Research Institute, targeting 1,320 people who had created manga in the past year, 46.8% of respondents (multiple answers allowed) said they had created "vertical reading manga," i.e., webtoons, during that period.

Naver Webtoon's Japanese service Line Manga [Image source=Google Play capture]

Although this figure does not surpass the 50.8% who said they created traditional "horizontal reading manga," it is a very high number considering the status of published manga in Japan. Additionally, among creators who have experience making horizontal reading manga, 58.9% expressed an intention to create webtoons in the future.

This reflects the growth of the webtoon market within Japan and the fact that for new artists, debuting and promoting themselves through webtoons is easier. Published manga requires passing strict screenings by major publishers to be serialized in magazines, whereas webtoons can be directly shown to readers via amateur platforms.

Reflecting this trend, in February last year, the first-ever share house for aspiring webtoon artists was established in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, known as the "holy land of manga" where many representative Japanese manga artists reside.

Named "Manchou," this share house consists of eight private rooms and is equipped with tablets and desks for webtoon work. Residents who debut as webtoon artists within the one-year residency period return a portion of their income to the facility. However, if they do not debut, they are not required to pay any fees. It is known that entry into the share house requires passing a competitive screening process.

FLASH also reported that at Kyoto Seika University’s Faculty of Manga, where aspiring artists from across the country gather, the number of students who only read webtoons is increasing. Instructor Kubo Motonori at this school revealed, "Although the faculty teaches students to properly read Japanese manga, it already feels like teaching against the current of the times."

FLASH further reflected, "Japan’s industries have bitterly experienced being outpaced by its neighboring country (Korea) in areas where it once held strengths, such as TV and semiconductors," and questioned, "Will manga also someday be overtaken by Korea?"