Most people are aware
of Japan's formidable business and economic
achievements. They are not nearly as cognizant,
however, of Japan's important role as a global
cultural and trend leader. Its impact has been
pervasive and is growing.
The world's
second-largest economy manifests its influence in
many diverse realms, including, but not limited
to, entertainment, food, fashion, animation and
video games. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe mentioned
this development in his first policy speech to the
Diet
(parliament), noting, "We will also formulate 'The
Japanese Cultural Industry Strategy', which will
enhance the competitiveness of areas that
represent the good traits and uniqueness of Japan
... and present them to the world."
These
days, Japan's already impressive cultural
influence is expanding because of a number of
factors. One has been the nation's steady economic
recovery.
Another is the efforts by
Japanese firms to add value to sustain their
competitiveness. Equally important is the evolving
desires of an increasingly mature, affluent and
sophisticated population. This is coupled with
Japan's long and rich cultural tradition of
innovation and refinement of cultural inputs from
other nations - as well as a wide range of other
social trends. The impact of these developments is
becoming increasingly important, not only in Japan
but throughout markets all over the world.
Impact on the domestic
economy With regard to Japan's
macroeconomy, more importance is being given to
consumption and the provision of services. With
respect to Japanese companies, changes are
witnessed in their efforts to shed debt, to obtain
cost and operational efficiencies, and to
rationalize their workforce.
Japanese
society is also aging, lifestyle options are
expanding, and employment practices are in
transformation. This is causing a transformation
in Japanese attitudes and the way in which they
live and spend their leisure time. All of these
changes are fueling a newfound emphasis on
cultural life.
For their part, Japanese
firms seek to move up the value-added chain. This
is essential to meet challenges from firms in
emerging and other foreign economies as well as to
meet the evolving needs of the Japanese market.
Japanese youth, workers and retirees seek
new services, consumption and entertainment
opportunities to satisfy their life goals and
personal needs. Young people in Japan are able to
focus on the consumption of goods and services
because of the considerable disposable income they
enjoy. This is a function not only of Japan's
wealth, but also the fact Japanese are living at
home longer and marrying later.
This
demographic has provided an important resource for
Japanese firms. They have found it profitable to
develop goods for young people as well as to tap
into the novel trends that emerge from youth
congregating in Tokyo hot spots such as Harajuku
and Shibuya.
The emerging focus on
consumption by Japanese workers is also a
reflection of the growth of part-time work as well
as changing attitudes and government and firm
encouragement. In various government and private
surveys, many part-time workers have noted that
they like having more personal time and new
opportunities for personal fulfillment. Part-time
work is also opening up opportunities for Japanese
women to garner income they can use to purchase
goods and services.
The developments noted
above have led to a number of exciting advances in
animation (anime), fashion, film, food and
other cultural areas. These advances are proving
to be popular not only in Japan, but around the
world. This is encouraging a new international
appreciation of Japanese culture - not only in a
traditional sense, identifying it with its
distinctive art, food and long history, but also
as a vibrant source of new ideas and change. Key
developments include:
Anime/manga: The birth of
Japanese anime can be traced to the Toei
Animation Co, which in the late 1950s and early
1960s produced Japan's first animated film and
television program. In the 1970s, Japan began to
export anime products. It was not until 20
years later, however, that the industry - which
currently generates more than US$20 billion in
revenues through film, games and merchandising
agreements - gained a big international following.
Much of this was driven by such characters
as Pokemon, Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Naruto,
many of which had their origins in Japan's
video-game industry. According to the Japan
External Trade Organization (JETRO), the US market
alone for anime products is $4.35 billion.
John Lasseter, an executive vice president
and creative chief at Pixar Animation Studios,
which produced the hit animated movie Cars
and numerous other productions, describes Japanese
anime as "hugely influential". As a
Business Week reporter observed, Japan's influence
is all the more extraordinary when you consider
that the outside world sees so little of what
Japan comes up with.
Lasseter commented,
"The Japanese have been the largest animation
producers for years, but 99% of the stuff stays in
Japan." Japanese anime not only has become
immensely popular on foreign television but also
has spawned numerous card games, comic books and
toys.
In Japan, most anime as well
as some television programs or films have their
origins in manga. Manga specifically refers
to Japanese comic books, which have a nearly
300-year history. Today, the manga industry
sustains nearly 4,000 comic artists and 20,000
assistants. A special feature of Japanese
manga is its girls' genre, one example
being Fruits Basket. These books have
achieved great popularity throughout Asia, and are
now also seen in North America and Europe.
In recent years, Japanese publishers have
also begun to focus more resources on the United
States. Some of the more prominent US manga
launches are Raijin Comics, Shonen Jump and Style
School. Similar publications have proved very
successful in Germany, South Korea and Thailand.
JETRO estimates that Japanese sales of
manga, both direct and through licensing,
in East Asia, generate nearly $33 million
annually.
Anime also serve as the
basis for several successful Japanese movies. For
example, Howl's Movie Castle and Pocket
Monsters' Mew and the Wave Guiding Hero,
respectively the highest- and
seventh-highest-grossing films in Japan in 2005,
were based on anime characters. They also
have influenced or are influencing such movies as
The Matrix, US music videos by groups such
as Linkin Park, and television series such as
Afro Samurai.
Importantly,
anime and manga have become a force
for cross-cultural exchange and understanding.
This is reflected by the success of the ASEAN
Cartoon Exhibition, the Japan-China Anime and
Manga Cultural Exchange Conference, and the Asia
Manga Summit and other related events in the
United States, such as SakuraCon, an annual
conference held in Seattle, which defines itself
as a Japanese animation (anime)
manga (comics), gaming and Asian-culture
convention. It has grown from 12
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