In accordance with Japan’s approval of the TPP-11 free trade agreement, and to bring the country more in line with global standards, the copyright period in Japan was extended to 70 years after the death of the author of the copyrighted work.

The revision, effective December 30, 2018, extends the copyright period an additional 20 years from its previous 50-year length, and applies to famous Japanese creatives such as painter Leonard Foujita and composer Tadashi Manjome, whose works will now not enter the public domain until 2038.