ENCHANTEMENT- Japan-France cultural exchange through manga
Pei Ling, Matsuyama
I visited the company Enchantement in Osaka, a company which does business for Japan-France cultural exchange with manga as an axis.
Its company mission is to “enchant world people and contribute to the happiness and development of the human being”. It records 9 times in the participation in the Japan Expo and other manga-related events in France with vending booths.
The boss of this company, Hidetoshi Matsuyama, was once employed in a game business, but after that he entered again into the postgraduate course of Kansai University to study manga culture. His master’s thesis was “The mechanism how Japanese manga enchants different culture societies – with France as an example.”
In conversation with Mr. Matsuyama I sheared many points in the opinions with him.
For instance:
– The origin of the phenomenon Cool Japan is manga and animation. In France the generation that grew with manga and animation since 1980, have attained the adult ages now.
This generation that was acquainted with Japan through manga and animation and came to yearn for it, now exert traction on Cool Japan.
– But no Japanese has positively contributed to this Cool Japan phenomenon. Japanese pays little attention to this intense look from abroad. Rather, many non-Japanese are getting their hands on it, and phonies start to appear.
It’s the time now Japanese have to send information overseas.
– The word “Japanese subculture” probably remind you male “otaku”. But. that comes from mass communication bias. There are many female “otaku”.
Among visitors to the Japan Expo in France the men to women ratio was half to half. They are fashionable, and consuming as well.
Also in Japan have to be a event in which ordinary women can participate, and it certainly possible.
According to him, a manga “Hikaru’s go-play” effect on the boom of a game of go in France now. Mr. Matsuyama himself have learned go from a French. More people devoted themselves in judo and karate in France than in Japan. Even such an inversion phenomenon are taking place.
His wife Mrs. Pei Ling comes from Taiwan. She was working as a Chinese-English interpreter in courthouse, but now she is helping him in his business.
Popularity of Japan in Taiwan is something, too. For instance in a bookstore in Taiwan a half of the shelves are occupied by Japanese books, and make you cry where it is here.
We, three, sat at a table in some maid cafe in American Village. I could enjoy there authentic dish, different from that of a maid cafe in Akihabara.
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