HAMANO: In this symposium, we invited two experts on the situation surrounding Japanese manga and animation outside Japan to take part in a discussion. These days, Japanese pop culture has gained popularity worldwide and Hollywood movies based on Japanese manga have attracted a great deal of attention. First of all, how are Japanese manga received overseas?

HOSOGAYA: In October this year, a Hollywood remake of Astroboy is due for release. This shows that stories that appeal to boys are a popular form of content. In both Japanese manga or animation, the main target was traditionally boys and the content has focused on stuff that boys get excited about. On the other hand, the introduction of Japanese manga and animation has brought about a major change in the mind-set of young people and the concept of values in Europe and the United States. For example, take women's relationship to comics. American comics have traditionally featured a hero such as Superman or Batman, and they did not contain an interpretation of the world with which women could easily sympathize. However, after the 80s, there was a steady flow of works from Japan featuring female characters, and Candy Candy and Sailor Moon also captivated girls in Europe and the US. As a result, girls in Europe and the US came to realize that their own lives, or even romance, could be the subject of a manga story.

HAMANO: Certainly, there are no other countries where women have been active creators. Works such as Genji-monogatari (The Tale of Genji) and Makura-no-soshi (The Pillow Book) show that, since ancient times, anyone could express himself or herself freely, which may be a distinctive feature of Japanese culture.

HASOGAYA: Also in recent years, adult-oriented manga have become popular, particularly in Europe. In 2007, MIZUKI Shigeru's NonNonBa won the Grand Prize at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France. The expression "graphic novel" was coined in Europe and the US, and there have been attempts to differentiate comics for grownups from comics for children. In other words, it means manga for adults approaches the level of literature and art. These days, when Japanese manga are introduced in Europe and the US, they are very often published as part of the graphic novel genre.

HAMANO: Various manga have been accepted abroad, and at the same time, they are recognized as a cultural phenomenon.

HAMANO: Next, I would like Mr. IKUHARA to talk about Japanese animation, which is hailed around the world.

IKUHARA: As a commercial venture, the introduction and sale of Japanese animation in Europe and the US started in the 60s to the 70s. The reason why it is drawing attention now is that it is naturally heavily influenced by Hollywood. Hollywood realized the possibilities of Japanese content, and has been trying to visualize them since around 2000. The Japanese media are delighted about it.

I am often asked why the demand for Japanese content is so high. But, in the first place, the fact is that the only place where animation has established itself as a business is Japan, and so we can't state categorically that outstanding content is the only factor. Originally, Japanese TV animation started when TEZUKA Osamu was able to render Astroboy without changing the manga frame placement. In other words, from the very start, compared with a full animation such as Disney animation, the cost-performance ratio was extremely favorable, so market developed and, as a result, there was an increase in demand from overseas.

HAMANO: I see. Recently, I was shocked to hear that ten years ago in Sweden, there were only two students enrolled in the Japanese language program at one of the most prestigious national universities, whereas today the number is 300. One of the collaborative research themes implemented there was that: "Why do children who are fond of manga draw doodles on their notes?" That is to say, even in Europe and the US, children who like manga start to draw manga on their notes. Now, with the inclusion of animation, I believe that works created by Japanese people have the power to stimulate new forms of expression overseas. Let's now turn to the contents of the works.

IKUHARA: The contents that Japanese create are non-religious and very easy to understand. And I think many of them offer visions of the future. When we were children, we had Expo '70. Our imagination went out into the world, giving us wonderful images of the future. But now, we have wars and recession, and a sense of gloom hangs over global society. In such situations, I believe Japanese manga and animation have the power to generate positive images of the future. Japan, which is on the far side of the world map as viewed from Europe and the US, has produced a constant stream of images portraying a strange and dreamlike vision of the future. Foreign people might find this a bit strange.

HAMANO: Let's talk about the future of Japanese animation and manga. Mr. IKUHARA, how do you predict the animation industry will change in the future?

IKUHARA: Along with the development of video sites and delivery services on the Internet, the form in which the audience chooses to watch animation has changed. In other words, the number of people who find value in packages such as DVDs has decreased, with a concomitant drop in sales. And at present, there is no new business model to address. This could be a chance for young people. Just as TEZUKA Osamu started Astroboy, if someone could create a model with a favorable cost-performance ratio, it might be the start of a new way of representation. The animation environment is changing dramatically. In my opinion, whatever happens, after costs of time and financial aspects have been optimized, if quality has not improved and there are no other unique and special features, the contents won't be able to survive and the industry will be facing tough times.

HAMANO: Mr. HOSOGAYA teaches students who are hoping to become manga artists at the Faculty of Art in Tokyo Polytechnic University. What do you think about the manga industry?

HOSOGAYA: There are 80 students in each grade and it will be a miracle if all of them can become professional manga artists. The university is facing the problem of what to do after recruiting so many students. I believe that manga is an extraordinary communication tool. I'm thinking of expanding the number of industries where the contents of manga would be useful, and to create a system that would allow manga writers and artists to earn money from it. This is what a teacher in the manga department of a university should do to make manga more widespread than it is currently.

HAMANO: The Japan Media Arts Festival got a lot of entries from overseas countries but, especially in the Manga Division, the quality of the Japanese works is far superior to others. I would say that the reason why the quality of Japanese animation and manga is so high is that there are many good judges. In other words, the quality of audience is high. I'd like everyone to cultivate their appreciation of outstanding works and the comments made about them, and to develop their critical faculties.