By Sam Nussey

TOKYO (Reuters) – Netflix (NASDAQ:)’s subscribers handed 10 million in Japan within the first half of this yr with the streaming agency’s Japanese-language programming grabbing consideration within the rising market.

The subscriber base has doubled within the final 4 years and the streamer has lately launched a string of well-received Japanese-language exhibits tackling topics that set it aside from Japanese broadcasters.

“This yr particularly we’re glad that productions reminiscent of ‘Tokyo Swindlers’, ‘The Queen of Villains’ and reality-romance present ‘The Boyfriend’ have been watched by so many individuals,” mentioned Kaata Sakamoto, vice chairman of content material for Japan.

Solely two English-language collection, the live-action adaptation of manga “One Piece” and the fourth season of “Stranger Issues”, have topped the viewing rankings in Japan since Netflix started disclosing them in 2021.

“Japan particularly is a rustic which desires to see quite a lot of its personal content material so we strongly really feel the necessity to produce it,” Sakamoto mentioned.

Netflix mentioned in September it has signed a five-year contract with Hitoshi One, the director of hit drama “Tokyo Swindlers” a couple of workforce of actual property scammers.

Streaming has inspired customers to look at foreign-language content material with leisure gamers trying to Japan lately.

Amazon (NASDAQ:) has tailored Sega Sammy’s long-running “Yakuza” recreation collection and Reuters reported final month that Sony (NYSE:) is in talks to accumulate media powerhouse Kadokawa to bolster its leisure portfolio.

Netflix says Japanese content material is its third-most-viewed non-English content material after Korean and Spanish and its anime titles have been seen greater than 1 billion occasions globally final yr.

Shares within the streamer, which has been boosted by an ad-supported tier and had 282.7 million subscribers globally at September-end, have climbed round 84% year-to-date at Monday’s shut.