'Cool Japan' festival opens in India

A "Cool Japan" festival has opened in India, featuring Japanese animation and character goods.

The event, sponsored by Japan's trade and industry ministry, kicked off on Thursday in the Indian commercial center of Mumbai.

29 companies are showcasing their products, mainly from the animation and toy industries.

A major publisher, Kodansha, announced the production of a new animated series adapted from the Japanese baseball comic "The Star of the Giants," which was highly popular in the 1960s and '70s.

The adapted version will feature a cricket player in the leading role in view of the popularity of the sport in India.

The Tokyo-based ThanksLab animation firm is previewing a production that combines a well-known Indian fable with cricket, in an effort to find business partners in the country.

The animation market in India is estimated to be worth 33 billion rupees, or about 650 million dollars, this year, and is expected to expand further.

ThanksLab President Motoo Kawabata says the Indian market will grow two- to three-fold in the next several years.

The exhibition will run through Sunday.