Japan and China plan filming deal

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship that finally restored relations three decades after the Second World War.

Japanese films made under the terms of the agreement will be viewed as Chinese productions. As such, they will not be subject to China’s strict quotas on annual foreign film releases, giving Japan much broader access to China’s vast cinema market.

China’s box office surged by 21% in 2017, making it the world’s second largest theatrical film market after the US.

Hollywood movies are increasingly filming scenes in China as a way of getting better access to the market. Pacific Rim Uprising was a recent example, shooting partly at Wanda Studios in Qingdao.

Japan is still building its international production appeal but is yet to offer formal filming incentive support on a national level.

See KFTV's production guides for more on filming in China and in Japan.

Image: FreeImages.com/Gary Tamin