Japan Fights Creative Burnout as U.S. Investors Reroute Tech Bets Amid AI Volatility

Japan's government announced new measures to address overwork in the creative sector as billionaire investors reshaped their portfolios in the U.S. market, highlighting contrasting approaches to economic resilience in 2025.

Minister Kimi Onoda, overseeing Japan's cultural exports, pledged to improve working conditions for content creators under the "Cool Japan" strategy, a key pillar of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's economic agenda. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Onoda emphasized the need to combat "passion exploitation," where creators are pressured to work excessive hours due to their dedication to their craft. The government plans to release survey results on industry practices and draft guidelines to address antitrust concerns in film and anime production. With overseas content sales generating ¥4.7 trillion ($30 billion) in 2022, the government aims to quadruple that figure to ¥20 trillion by 2033, positioning creative industries as a core growth engine.

. Meanwhile, U.S. hedge funds and institutional investors made significant portfolio adjustments in Q3 2025. Philippe Laffont's Coatue Management cut its stake in AI infrastructure provider CoreWeave (CRWV) by 62% to 6.72 million shares, while adding 3.34 million shares in Applied Materials (AMAT) and trimming Amazon (AMZN) holdings. Stanley Druckenmiller's Duquesne Family Office, known for its tech focus, bought 437,000 shares of Amazon and 76,000 shares of Meta Platforms (META) but exited Microsoft (MSFT) and Eli Lilly (LLY) entirely. These moves reflect shifting priorities in the tech sector amid concerns over AI-driven market volatility.

Philip Morris International (PM), a key player in the tobacco industry, saw mixed investor activity. Coatue exited its entire 1.29 million-share position in the company, while Cherokee Insurance Co. and Calamos Advisors LLC invested $1.26 million and $102.79 million and respectively in Philip Morris stock. Analysts noted that Philip Morris's recent quarterly earnings of $1.59 per share and a 3.8% dividend yield attracted institutional buyers despite the fund outflows. However, the company's negative return on equity of 122.14% and high payout ratio of 106.52% underscored lingering risks in the sector.

. The divergence in investment strategies mirrors broader economic trends. Japan's push to protect creative talent aligns with global efforts to address burnout, while U.S. investors navigated a market where AI infrastructure and pharmaceuticals remain polarizing. As Ishiba's government prepares for a 3 a.m. policy meeting-a move criticized as contradictory to its anti-overwork rhetoric-investors signaled a preference for sectors perceived as more insulated from regulatory shifts.