- Tokyo, Japan plans to host its own two-day esports event in fiscal 2019.
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to allocate ¥50M ($460K USD) in its fiscal year 2019 budget for the event.
- Japan has seen a rise in esports activity since the introduction of the Japan Esports Union in 2018.
Tokyo, Japan governor Yuriko Koike announced Sunday that the city will host its own esports event in fiscal 2019. The Tokyo Metropolitan government plans to allocate ¥50M ($460.9K) in its fiscal year 2019 budget (which begins in April) for the event. Dates, venues, and other details have not yet been determined.
Japan’s esports industry saw a significant increase in activity in 2018 with the introduction of the Japan Esports Union (JESU), an organization which bridges the gap between the Japanese government’s laws on competition and gambling, and the developers and rights holders of esports titles. In addition to opening the door to larger prize pools and more tournaments, the JESU will co-host a Pro Evolution Soccer tournament at the 2019 National Sports Festival.
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Government support for esports is on the rise in various countries around the world, particularly in Asian regions. Recently, the Malaysian government announced plans to commit RMB 10M ($2.4M) to esports in its 2019 budget.
