South Korean companies are rapidly expanding locally, chipping away at Japan's dominance of the manga market in Poland, Central Europe. Translated editions of Japanese works are increasing, led by popular Polish shop YATTA.PL, driving market expansion.
Japanese manga and anime are highly popular in Poland and Central Europe, and Japanese works have long dominated the market. In Toruń, a Polish castle town, Japanese works line shop shelves, while a fan base that began in people's student years is taking root.
Jan Godłód, CEO of Studio JG, which operates YATTA.PL, is expanding its Japan-related publishing business while reflecting on the influence of watching television in 1999. The company was launched and established between 2006 and 2007, and is said to have acquired publishing rights to its first Japanese work in 2009, illustrating how Japanese works took root in the local market.
The company's Japan-related works now account for more than half of Poland's manga market. It publishes more than 300 translated books annually and has 18 translation staff. The number of titles is expected to grow, with more than 440 titles projected to be published in 2027. South Korean companies are also stepping up their local expansion, creating a new challenge to Japan's image of sole dominance.