TOKYO, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese capital of Tokyo is going to host an E-sports event in fiscal 2019 starting in April to promote the city's video game and anime industries, Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike said Sunday.
"E-sports involve many different industries, and the event will be an opportunity (for companies) to get some publicity," local media quoted Koike.
The planned two-day event will constitute 50 million yen (460,703 U.S. dollars) in the metropolitan government's budget for fiscal 2019, but the date and venue have yet to be decided.
E-sports games, included as a demonstration sport in the Asian Games in Jakarta last year, have been gaining popularity in Japan.
The Japan E-sports Union, an official industry body to approve matches and develop talented players, was set up in 2018.
The organization is currently planning a tournament featuring a video game of soccer in October as a sideline game during the national sports festival.
