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Introduction
Japan has the strong reputation of being among the most developed nations in the world, and it stands out as the most technologically advanced one in Asia. Its prominence in foreign affairs greatly supplements its economic power, and such has enabled it to push its popular culture across different nations. Among notable aspects of Japanese culture include anime and manga (animation and graphic novels), J-Pop (Japanese pop music), food and fashion styles. Yet, while Japan is a nation that has sealed its importance in the international community, what remains phenomenal is that it has popularized its cultural aspects across different nations. How, then, has Japanese culture become so popular? A perusal of related literature, with central emphasis on anime and manga, reveals that a combination of economic efficiency, sheer exoticism and the strong position of Japan in international affairs have enabled the rise of enthusiasm towards Japanese pop culture across the world.
The Rise of Japanese Popular Culture
Otzmagin (73-82) noted that the rise of Japanese popular culture is due to the efforts of Japan to strengthen its soft power after its defeat in the Second World War. Life in Japan was not so pleasant around 40 years ago, as defeat in the Second World War has given the government a massive national recovery problem. Recovering from the war, Japan was economically poor even with the subsequent restructuring plan organized by the United States. Yet, in the case of the Japanese entertainment industry, it has found a way to strengthen its position through the introduction of anime and manga. A true product of Japanese ingenuity, anime and manga are the two unmistakable innovations of Japanese culture that has gained global recognition. Anime and manga has encapsulated the prominence of Japanese soft power as it carried on themes of Japanese culture on its storylines coupled by realistic character drawings and animations. The exoticness of the combinations espoused by anime and manga greatly differed to that of its counterpart industry in the United States (US), which featured themes centered on superheroes, science fiction and animation that includes animals and other unrealistic characters. Hence, such feature has enabled anime and manga to propel the prominence of Japanese culture to the world stage (Otzmagin 73-89).
Differences in Themes
Extensive Use of Japanese Cultural Themes
Katzenstein and Shiraishi (211-236) noted the strong differences between anime and manga of Japan and animation and graphic creations from the US. Unlike cartoon characters in the US, anime and manga tend to incorporate more detailed character designs that brings a more realistic sense of familiarity to viewers and readers,. In the case of US cartoons, particularly those showing super-heroes saving the people of the world, anime and manga may have similar themes but often with pieces of Japanese culture and history. It is vividly apparent that the appearance of the animation characters and their lifestyle synonymously fits to reality that these aspects fit to people’s satisfaction. Such is the reason why Japanese culture has become effectively popularized globally (Katzenstein and Shiraishi 211-236).
Sheer Exoticness
One main reason Japanese culture is popular through anime and manga is because of the exotic expressions that entertains and attracts the views attention. “Exotic” is one of the main key factors which attract audiences, yet more often than not it pertains to the vivid expressions anime and manga characters portray throughout various storylines. Mature story plots and dynamic areas enabling interaction within a variety of ages is also a factor that has proved entertaining. The exoticism and the entertainment corresponding to the multifaceted tastes of people globally have made the Japanese culture more popular than ever (Otzmagin 73-89). Furthermore, Moody (209-219) noted that global attitudes towards the Japanese language have changed positively, mostly due to the global prominence of anime and manga. That kind of development shows that anime and manga has raised recognition towards the use of the Japanese language, thus boosting its global popularity (Otzmagin 73-89).
Economic Efficiency
The economic manner of production of anime and manga has enabled Japan to spread its influence worldwide. By using fewer frames in animation, unlike American cartoons that tries to incorporate meticulous details in every motion, Japanese animation is lot less costly for showing in television. To get the attention of more people, the Japanese entertainment industry also brought factors of toys, games, and films that are from anime and manga. Such industries further sealed the recognition towards anime and manga, given that tangible and playable collections enable consumers to gain more enthusiasm towards Japanese culture (Katzenstein and Shiraishi 211-236).
Conclusion
Japanese popular culture has found its central global representative in the form of anime and manga. The global success achieved by the Japanese entertainment industry in popularizing anime and manga worldwide shows that the combination of Japanese cultural themes, sheer exoticness of features and economic efficiency in production has proven effective in popularizing Japanese culture across the globe. At this point, there is no compelling sign that Japanese culture is heading towards decline, especially with the remarkably symbolic nature of anime and manga.
Works Cited
Katzenstein, Peter, and Takashi Shiraishi. Beyond Japan: The Dynamics of East Asian Regionalism. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2006. Print.
Moody, Andrew. "English in Japanese Culture and J-Pop Music." World Englishes 25.2 (2006): 209-222. Print.
Otzmagin, Nissim. "Contesting Soft Power: Japanese Popular Culture in East and Southeast Asia." International Relations of the Asia-Pacific 8.1 (2008): 73-101. Print.
