Abstract: Character merchandising in postwar Japan was heavily impacted by Disneys character merchandising model. With the development of mass media and commodity exploitation, character merchandising promoted the chain of anime and manga industry and brought huge profits that also created a new source of profit for Japanese creators, producers and enterprise. Most importantly, the development of character merchandising in postwar Japan established the mechanism of exchange known as licensing and laid the foundation for anime and manga industry. Meanwhile character merchandising fit in with the needs of society at that time and was welcomed by Japanese children, which provided much room for anime and manga industry.

Key words: postwar Japan, anime and manga industry, character merchandising