THE WORLD OF JAPANESE ANIME

Oshii Produces First New Movie in Nine Years (April 5, 2004)

As Japanese anime sweeps the world (think of Pokemon and Spirited Away), the latest movie by one of the country's most talented creators, Oshii Mamoru, was released in Japan on March 6. The anime, Innocence, is Oshii's first movie in nine years, following the highly acclaimed Ghost in the Shell in 1995, and has been much awaited by fans both in Japan and overseas.

Anime Well-Received Overseas
Oshii made his name in the world of anime with Ghost in the Shell, a sharp work of science fiction set in the near future that was immensely popular, especially overseas. It soared to the top of the video chart of the US magazine Billboard. The Wachowski brothers, who directed the hit movie Matrix, said that they were influenced by this work, and Titanic director James Cameron also praised it.

Born in 1951, Oshii worked in anime production after graduating from Tokyo Gakugei University before going independent. Innocence is a sequel to his major hit, Ghost in the Shell. Set in Japan in 2032, it depicts a world in which people have become like cyborgs, with brains linked to a network and mechanical organs. It is in this world that a toy robot resembling a little girl goes on the rampage and kills its owner. A cyborg detective launches an investigation of the case and, wading into the darkness of the incident, comes up with the questions a la Oshii of what human beings are and what our bodies are.

As well as the dynamic action scenes, achieved through advanced digital processing, Oshii also displays his originality in the fine background imagery. For example, Oshii apparently spent 10 months on the production of one three-minute scene in a food store in order to draw the goods that are stocked throughout the store.

Innocence is scheduled to be shown in 10 cities in the United States in the fall, and critics are already speculating about awards.

IT'S A WRAP!-Traditional Cloth Used to Combat Climate Change

A square cloth that came into use over 1,000 years ago is basking in the limelight as a tool to combat global warming. Called furoshiki, these cloths can be used to wrap things of any shape and have even been known to transform into purses or handbags. Compact when folded and great for repeated use, the furoshiki is a perfect example of the three Rs of environmental conservation: reduce, reuse, and recycle. More than just a great way to wrap up your belongings, the furoshiki also epitomizes the Japanese tradition of gift wrapping.

Otsukai-zutsumi for wrapping square objects (©MIYAY Co.,Ltd)

The Face of Wrap Culture
The custom of wrapping objects in a square cloth first started about 1,300 years ago during the Nara period (710-94). Historians have confirmed that a style of folding known as hira-zutsumi, in which the four corners of a cloth were drawn up without being tied in a knot, was used for the safekeeping of valuables. The word furoshiki (literally “bathing cloth”) is said to date from the Muromachi period (1333-1568), during which cloths folded in the hira-zutsumi style were used when taking a bath to wrap clothing or to spread out on the floor. The use of furoshiki to wrap objects became widespread during the Edo period (1603-1868), and customs regarding how to fold furoshiki for different gift-giving occasions were eventually developed. This gave way to Japan’s unique wrapping culture, which is still in evidence today and is rooted in the idea that giving someone an unwrapped object is disrespectful.

Until about 30 years ago, furoshiki could be found in almost any household, used as shopping bags or for moving and storing objects. The cloths can be made from a variety of materials, including silk, cotton, and synthetic fiber, and designs range from the ornate to the ordinary depending on the intended use. Furoshiki are near perfect squares typically measuring 50 cm or 68 cm across, though sizes vary greatly.

A furoshiki as an accessory (©Kyoto Wa-Bunka Institute MUSUBI)

A Tool to Combat Global Warming
The outstanding feature of furoshiki is their ability to wrap absolutely anything. In addition to the standard style of wrapping square objects known as otsukai-zutsumi, other folding and knotting techniques can be used to wrap rectangular or cylindrical shapes - to keep two bottles together without breaking, for example. Aside from formal occasions, people usually tie their furoshiki in a knot to make them easier to carry. With a little knotting know-how, a furoshiki can even become a shoulder bag or purse.

Despite their long history, furoshiki are a less common sight nowadays due to the prevalence of plastic and paper bags. However, their benefits are being reevaluated as environmental problems escalate. Using a furoshiki instead of a 10-gram polyethylene plastic bag prevents 61 grams of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere, for example, making the reusable furoshiki a potential trump card in the battle against climate change. As campaigns to bolster furoshiki usage spring up around Japan, cloths made from recycled plastic bottles are even making an appearance. Trendy designs have become more common, and the cloths are even being used in interior decoration as wall hangings and cushion covers. Now especially popular among young people, it appears that furoshiki culture is entering a new golden age.

EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF MANGA

Kyoto Museum Shares Comic Culture with the World (January 22, 2007)

Inside the museum (Kyoto International Manga Museum) Japan's first museum dedicated to the full range of manga culture has opened in Kyoto. The Kyoto International Manga Museum has an extensive mission that includes not only conducting and presenting research but also spawning new industries and cultivating human resources. The museum was a success right from the beginning, attracting over 10,000 visitors in its first two weeks. A 200,000-Piece Treasure Trove Japanese manga have attained the status of a full-fledged art form. Since the 1980s, manga and anime have spread across the globe, earning acclaim wherever they have landed. The rising cultural value of manga has created the need for a facility dedicated to the systematic collection, preservation, and dissemination of this art form. To fill this need, the Kyoto International Manga Museum was founded jointly by the City of Kyoto and Kyoto Seika University, the only university in Japan that has a Faculty of Manga. The "Manga Wall" (Kyoto International Manga Museum) The museum currently houses some 200,000 manga-related items. The collection encompasses historically valuable pieces, such as the first Japanese manga magazines published in the early Meiji era (1868–1912), as well as currently popular works from Japan and other countries. By 2008, the museum expects to have over 300,000 pieces in its collection. The Kyoto International Manga Museum functions as both a museum that carries out and publishes research and as a library where visitors have free access to more than 40,000 volumes at any given time. The corridors of the museum's three floors feature a "Manga Wall" with a total of 140 meters of shelf space. A Venue for Manga Events Through January 28, 2007, the museum is hosting the World Manga Exhibition. In addition to displaying works from over 20 countries (including Japanese manga in translation), the exhibition chronicles the history of the genre in Japan by highlighting phenomena such as akahon (pulp comics) and kashihon (manga-lending shops), which became popular after World War II. When the subject of manga or anime comes up, Tokyo might be the first place that comes to mind. After all, Akihabara, that epicenter of otaku culture, is located in Tokyo, as are a slew of publishing houses and production companies dedicated to manga and anime. And of course many manga and anime artists make their home in Japan's modern capital. The exterior of the museum. (Kyoto International Manga Museum) However, Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, renowned worldwide for its historic and cultural attractions, is also a manga center in its own right. The picture scrolls known as choju jinbutsu giga (literally "cartoons of bird and beast characters") originated here in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Furthermore, Kyoto Seika University is a pioneer of manga research, having been engaged in this field for over 30 years. It is therefore fitting that Kyoto has been chosen as the host city for the International Manga Summit in 2008. "Manga have played a significant role in Japanese culture," says the museum's director, Yoro Takeshi, on the facility's website. "Elements of expression in Japanese manga, which have become increasingly popular around the world, are already found in picture scrolls produced in the Heian period (794–1192). I think it is extremely significant that the Manga Museum will be established in Kyoto, where traditional culture still thrives."

FRIENDLY GHOULS AND GOBLINS-Discovering the Roots of Japan's Yokai

Japanese folklore is full of tales of supernatural creatures called yokai. These beings, also referred to as ayakashi or mononoke, are said to have mysterious powers and abilities. Yokai is often translated as "monster" or "ghost" in English, but they are actually somewhat different in nature. Yokai have some lovable characteristic that makes it difficult to hate them, and in fact, endears them to people. These kinds of characters are now enjoying a surge in popularity among young people, especially manga and anime fans.

A scene from the current animated television series Gegege no Kitaro. (C)Mizuki Production / Toei Animation

Yokai Gain Popularity
The term yokai encompasses such creatures as oni (a mountain-dwelling ogre), tengu (a long-nosed goblin-like creature with both human and avian characteristics), and kappa (a water imp). Many of the manga and anime that are popular in Japan feature yokai characters. The anime adaptation of Mizuki Shigeru's manga series Gegege no Kitaro that is currently being broadcast on Fuji TV has attracted much attention, following the release of a movie version earlier this year. Recent animated films with yokai themes include Yokai Daisenso (The Great Yokai War) (2005), Dororo (2007), and Kappa no Ku to Natsuyasumi (Summer Days with Coo) (2007). Short stories featuring yokai by popular mystery writer Kyogoku Natsuhiko have been adapted into the films Ubume no Natsu (Summer of Ubume) (2005) and Moryo no Hako (A Box of Evil Spirits) (2007). Other popular yokai-themed works include the manga Mushishi and Mokke and the horror anime Ayakashi.

From August 1 to 26, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Tokyo hosted "AYAKASHI: Specters, Ghosts, and Sorcerers in Ukiyo-e," an exhibition of ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock prints) depicting yokai scenes. Also, around 1,000 enthusiastic fans attended the World Yokai Conference 2007 in Kyoto in August.

The Origins of Yokai
Yokai lore has existed in Japan since ancient times. The yokai of Japan are similar to the fairies, sprites, and other such creatures of Celtic myths, which are popular characters in the world of role-playing video games. While many yokai are based on Shinto gods, they also include creatures from non-Japanese folklore that have been modified from their original form with a uniquely Japanese interpretation.

Ukiyo-e print of yokai.
(C)The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, Waseda University

In the Edo period, ukiyo-e with yokai were all the rage. The well-known artists Utagawa Kuniyoshi and Katsushika Hokusai also drew yokai. A famous work among them is Hyakkiya Gyozu in the Kano style. In this drawing, such everyday household objects as chipped rice bowls and tea cups are portrayed as yokai who go parading through town. Ukiyo-e prints like this have greatly influenced the modern-day image of yokai.

When people in olden times witnessed a phenomenon whose cause could not be explained or understood, they always thought it was the work of yokai. If someone drowned in the river, it was the work of a kappa; if a wind blew from somewhere on the mountain, a mountain yokai had been born. People also believed that things in the natural world around them were a form of yokai, representing an ambivalent supernatural force.

In this day and age when the gravity of environmental destruction is increasingly evident, renewed interest in yokai serves as an SOS signal from the yokai that inhabit the natural world. The yokai boom is also an opportunity to reflect on how to provide yokai with the best natural environment to live in.

LIGHT READING -Comic-Like Novels Are All the Rage

(February 28, 2007)

The genre of books known as light novels is enjoying growing popularity among readers these days. These books are increasingly part of a multimedia strategy, as plans are afoot to make a number of them into anime movies.

The cover of Inukami (c) MAMIZU ARISAWA / MEDIA WORKS

Illustrations Included
In Japanese, "light novels" are also known as ranobe for short. And while there is no firm definition of these publications, they are in general books enjoyed mainly by readers in their teens and twenties that are heavy on dialogue and place an emphasis on an easy-to-understand plot development. In order to make the world inside the novel more accessible, these books usually contain a number of anime- or manga-like illustrations.

In addition to school-based dramas that feature young girls as the protagonists and romantic comedies, other light-novel subgenres include science fiction and fantasy. To make these books easier to buy, they are all clearly labeled as light novels and are published as low-priced paperbacks.

The cover of Kino no tabi (c) KEIICHI SIGSAWA / MEDIA WORKS

While this type of book was once known as the "teen novel," many of which were novelizations of anime programs and video games, light novels increasingly feature original content. And with a writer of light novels going on to win a literary prize for an ordinary novel, this new type of literature is continuing to garner attention.

Three Works Made into Movies
The market for light novels is said to be worth about ¥20 billion ($166.7 million at ¥120 to the dollar), with about 30 million copies published annually. Targeting people who tend to read less than others, publishing companies have begun battling over this genre, as it is easy to develop these stories into a multimedia mix spanning anime, manga, video games, and e-books.

Among the companies putting out these books, Kadokawa Group Holdings, the firm that owns such major labels as Kadokawa Sneaker Books and Dengeki Books, has a 70% to 80% share of the market. This group decided to take three of its works - Kino no tabi (Kino's Journey), Shakugan no Shana (Shana of the Burning Eyes), and Inukami! (Dog Metaplasy) - and turn them into anime movies, all of which are due to be released simultaneously this April in the aim of expanding the market for light novels.

The cover of Shakugan no Shana (c) YASHICHIRO TAKAHASHI / MEDIA WORKS

Meanwhile, publisher Shogakukan last year started giving out a Light Novel Award, for which it solicits works from anyone who wants to enter. This spring it will launch the Gagaga Books line aimed at boys and the Lululu Books line targeting girls. Other publishing firms are following suit and looking to increase the number of books they can print using their existing labels.

Japanese light novels are even attracting attention from overseas as another form of subculture along the lines of anime and manga. In North America, Tokyopop has published some 20 such works, including Kino's Journey. And Seven Seas Entertainment will this April launch a new light-novel label and publish such works as Shinigami no baraddo (Momo the Girl God of Death). It will publish these works in the same pocket-size paperback form common in Japan and at the same low price.