The Straits Times reported that Japanese cultural exports (revenues from royalties and sales of anime, videogames, music, art, films, and fashion) reached $12.5 billion in 2002, up 300% from 1992.  Over-all exports grew only 15% during the same period.  That makes the growth in the world's appetite for Japanese pop culture one of the bright spots in an otherwise moribund Japanese economy.  According to the article, some are arguing that Japan has become the second largest exporter of culture in the world, after the U.S. 

 

As we've been arguing since at least 2000 (see 'Home to Roost'), this appears to be a major shift in world culture that could be as significant as the growth in popularity in American pop culture in the last century.  The good news for American retailers is that the Japanese influence on games, toys, anime, comics (manga) and licensed goods has stimulated new consumers to enter the market for those products, and grown sales over-all.