Japan takes its animation very seriously. That's been shown by the increasing popularity of anime production in Japan and the sector's growing market share overseas. However, Japanese anime production is contending with a severe case of "brain drain" that the government is trying to cure by attracting foreign talent to help out. Lily Lyu reports.

The animation sector is one of the key contributors to Japan's economy. Government data shows that Japan's anime sector recorded a 30-percent jump in overseas sales to 770 billion yen, or about 7 billion US dollars, in 2016. However, low wages and long working hours have driven Japanese animators overseas for better opportunities. That may be changing as the government on Tuesday unveiled new visa policies to bring in foreign workers to fill in the gaps. The new rules expand the 3-year work visa to 5 years for overseas talent. Foreigners who have certified amine-producing skills can also get special treatment when applying for Japanese green cards.

JIANG XIAOYAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT "The visa policy change will definitely bring more convenience for us. I plan on working in Japan for a few years to rack up some experience, so that I can find a better paying job when I'm back in China."

Analysts say the visa shift is part of the government's broader strategy to strengthen international collaboration and expand its anime sector.

HIROYUKI YOSHIKAWA, FORMER PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO "We can not be short-sighted when it comes to our anime industry, or education for that matter. I think the new policy is a very good sign. It can help further push the internationalization of Japan's anime production."

Still, some analysts say that the government is approaching the problem the wrong way. That's because Japanese anime professionals work 11 hours a day on average with a yearly income of about 110 thousand yen, or 10 thousand dollars. The analysts say that raising salaries and improving benefits for domestic workers should be the focus instead of easing the visa access.