GUJARAT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, GANDHINAGAR

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR SOCIAL WORK

TOPIC: ANIME AND JAPANESE IMPERIALISM: DID ANIME SHAPE

HOW THE WORLD SEES JAPAN?

Submitted to: Submitted By:

Dr. Ambati Nageswara Rao Nidhi Suman

(21BWL019)
INTRODUCTION

The origins of anime can be traced back to the early 1900s, and it has grown to be a major
cultural impact globally throughout the previous century. Earlier Japanese cartoons were
primarily aimed for the Japanese market and based on their cultural themes. Adult themes and
subject matter can occasionally be found in anime films, despite the fact that anime is generally
intended at children. Prior to World War II, animation had established itself in the classroom,
politics, and business. However, as a result of the rise of Japanese nationalism and the start of
WWII, the bulk of animated films made from the 1930s forward were either commercially
oriented or government propaganda.

Until now, Japanese animation maintained a tenuous grasp on the international market. It was
already struggling and competing against well-known production businesses like Walt Disney.
The switch to television in the 1960s was the catalyst for animation's rise to prominence in
Japan. This was also the time when Toei, Japan's first modern animation production business,
was founded. Now, anime is slowly making its way into English-speaking countries, albeit
severely modified and filtered to appeal to non-Japanese consumers.

Giant robot displays known as "Mecha" were popular in the late 1990s, breaking through to a
general audience. Around the same time, other well-known animators came up with ambitious
ideas that made a significant stir. From LD (Laserdiscs) to DVDs and, eventually, the internet,
Japanese animation became more readily available to those on the other side of the world as
technology advanced. The digital network is now being actively leveraged to get high-quality
copies of performances into the hands of fans.

Anime has become one of Japan's most powerful cultural exports, aiding in the shaping of the
country's image beyond its borders. The internationalisation of anime has had a variety of
effects. It is increasing global cultural awareness of Asian customs and cultures. However, this
rise in popularity has been preceded by a web of misinterpretation, especially among anime fans.
People believe that Japanese anime and its content reflect Japan as a whole, eroding the country's
identity. While such misconceptions are obviously harmful, they do not fall under the category of
cultural imperialism, which refers to the practise of forcing one nation's culture or language on
another. The advent of anime culture exemplifies "cultural export." The growing popularity of
anime has led to an increase in demand for additional content, which is being created by
exploited underpaid animators.
PROBLEM STATEMENT

In Western nations, anime has become financially viable. Many Westerners have had a special
interest in Japan since the nineteenth century. Anime has substantially increased the number of
Westerners who are familiar with Japanese culture. Other aspects of Japanese culture, outside of
anime, have grown in popularity. The number of people learning Japanese has risen across the
world. Aside from anime events, anime clubs have sprung up in colleges, high schools, and
community centres as a way to publicize anime while also improving cultural understanding in
Japan.

With the passage of time and the popularity of anime, the world has started looking at the
country with rose-tinted glasses, and its image has gradually morphed from a military empire to a
pop culture superpower. It is believed that Japanese pop culture is being used as a soft power
resource. An increase in student Japanese language competency and a growth in cultural export
may be two variables indicating the same thing.

By studying the apparent success of the anime industry, it is also not surprising to come across
anime’s slave labour problem. Due to the friction between a harsh corporate structure and
anime's creative idealism, animators are forced to undergo exploitation for the sake of art.

HYPOTHESES

The study will finish with three primary hypotheses based on the literature evaluation. These will
serve as a guide for the data analysis throughout the project.

• The origins and following advancements of anime can be credited with its globalisation.
• "Cultural export" is exemplified by the emergence of anime culture.
• Japan's reputation has changed dramatically over the last two decades, from scary foe to
imaginative daydream producer.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study's goal is to look into anime's expanding popularity around the world, as well as the
impact it has on its fans in comparison to the broader public. The report will also investigate if
anime is a kind of Japanese cultural imperialism. It also aims to investigate the current slave
labour situation in the anime business, as well as public awareness of the issue.
DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

a) Anime: Anime, which is typically the abbreviated pronunciation of "animation" in

Japanese, is defined as "a style of animation developed in Japan" or "a Japanese style of
motion-picture animation". Anime is distinguished from other kinds of animation by its
wide range of art styles, animation methods, production, and process. It is usually aimed
for both adults and children.
b) Internationalization: It roughly means making something international, known in more
than two nations.
c) Cultural Export: The process through which cultural objects have an economic
influence and citizens from other nations traverse national borders is known as cultural
export.
d) Imperialism: Imperialism is a strategy or philosophy of expanding dominion over
peoples and other nations in order to gain political and economic access, power, and
control, usually by the use of hard power, such as military force, but sometimes through
the use of soft power.
e) Cultural imperialism: It includes imperialism's cultural components. The term
"imperialism" refers to the establishment and maintenance of unequal relationships
between civilisations, with a stronger civilisation being favoured.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Internationalization of Japanese anime

Anime's internationalization can be credited to its genesis and subsequent developments.

Anime's origin can be owed to inspiration from western works and an attempt to imitate it.
Gradually, it developed its own style. One of the reasons it went international is the
depoliticization. It incorporated characters that had western features and a culturally neutral
setting was deployed. Universal themes like love, death, and friendship were used. Racial mixing
and cultural blurring enabled anime to transcend into an international phenomenon.

Through the incorporation of western elements, anime also goes through an occidental journey
where a nationalistic feeling is visible. Contrary to the previously discussed depoliticization,
characters with western features are employed in a negative role and a stereotypical image of the
west is being served. Where the Japanese protagonist gets the better of their arrogant western
counterparts, Occidentalism is to the west what orientalism is to the east.

Another trope of anime is that it self-orientalises. It aims to be the leader and representative of
the east and subdues other oriental cultures. It reveals a desire to establish Japan as a country
with western characteristics but in the east.

The globalisation of Japanese animation has resulted in the formation of a committed following
among a substantial number of Americans, resulting in an impact on popular culture in the
United States. Anime started as a Japanese twist on Western animation that soon gained a large
following. The popularity of anime among Americans (and other nations) is enormous. Japan
took note, and the authorities began actively promoting their country. Anime and manga, for
example, are part of its popular culture. This was dubbed "Cool Japan" and was influenced by
the international success of South Korean popular culture. Despite Japan's efforts to promote
itself through popular culture, the strategy appears to be failing as many notable Japanese artists,
like Takashi Murakami, declined to participate in the promotion of particular anime and manga.
It's debatable whether American anime and manga enthusiasts care about it; some American fans
appear to be uninterested in Japanese culture. In general, however, they still think anime is
superior to "Western" cartoons. Other admirers are so enthralled with Japanese anime and
manga that they are motivated to learn the language. Many anime enthusiasts are motivated to
make their own films and television series. The globalisation of anime and how anime in general
is viewed in popular culture has been a lengthy and complicated process, but it has surely
become a part of American popular culture.

Anime culture began in Japan and has since spread throughout the world. Anime got its art style
from the Japanese anime artist Osamu Tezuka in the 1960s, and the style was followed by other
anime artists for their works. The influence and love for anime was so great that people started
role-playing, computer gaming, and cosplaying, and the "Otaku" term was given to those people.

It is common in Japan to have statues and landmarks related to anime and their creators. For
example, there is a monstrous-sized Gundam (an advanced, high-performance mobile suit) at the
entrance of a small indoor theme park in Odaiba. Giant statues are a daily occurrence in Japan.

Speaking of daily life things, anime is used as a theme for many products. Popular anime
characters are generally featured in the products' packaging and advertisements, which normally
can’t be seen in other countries. There are stores that only sell specific anime items. The
Pokémon MEGA Center in Ikebukuro is one of many of those stores that sell everything related
to Pokémon anime.

The other interesting thing is the anime-inspired ovaloid singers who are virtual idols. The virtual
idols have even developed a large following and have concerts.

Akihabara, located in Tokyo, is definitely a place to visit as an otaku. The shops there sell various
goods like manga, games, and other anime-related things. The streets of Akihabara don’t end
with selling anime goods; they are also famous for themed cafes like the "Maid" or "Butler" café,
in which people in maid outfits try to attract various guests. Anime culture has a lot of influence
on the streets of Japan.

The popularity of anime culture is so great that there are anime-related conventions in Japan gain
many visitors yearly. The convention includes booths and events for anime lovers according to
their favourite anime.

Japan's cultural imperialism

With its rise in the 1980s, the anime industry is now one of the more popular markets in Japan-a
clear indication of its existing soft power. Banking on its profitability (Pokémon inculcates
around $72 million in annual profit), its transplantation is a success storey in itself, considering
its rising acceptance even outside Japan, heralded exponentially by the rise of Internet culture.
This exposure garnered by the popularity of anime also contributes towards Westerners'
increasing interest in Japan, including learning Japanese or engaging in discourse regarding anime
over multiple social media sites and at "Anime Clubs" and other conventions.

However, this rise in popularity has also come with a shroud of misunderstanding, especially
among anime fans. You assume that Japanese anime and its content are congruent with what
Japan actually is, therefore blurring the identity of Japan itself. While such misconstrued notions
are certainly harmful, it cannot be considered a case of cultural imperialism, which refers to
forcing the culture or language of one nation on another. The rise of anime culture is merely an
example of "cultural export."

Furthers and takes cultural export as its conclusion, there is certainly a sense of agreement that
belies it. Anime, as a whole, is a market first, which would supply what is demanded and done
with the object of audience consumption, consequently leading to profit. It may be said that even
though some viewers may consider this an "exotic" sense of entertainment, anime is just that, a
form of entertainment that is spreading more with each increase in viewer consideration. Overall,
calling it cultural imperialism undermines the growth of the East of the hegemonic power that
the Western hemisphere has even when it comes to the entertainment industry. Hence, it is fair
to understand the rise in "anime culture" with a more positive outlook on cultural export, leading
to better enjoyment of content and acceptance of various different cultures.

Japan does not derive soft power from its popular culture. It goes on to define soft power which
as described by Napier is the “quintessential late millennium mode” and he also proposes 3
pillars of a state’s soft power.

Further, the it can be seen as to how the Japanese culture fulfils all the criteria required of soft
power. The reasoning that Japanese popular culture does not provide the Japanese state with soft
power.

Cultural exporter

In America's eyes, Japan has always been the militaristic aggressor, the country that colonised
Korea, invaded China, and bombed Pearl Harbour, bringing the US into war and deserving of
scorn for losing that conflict. In the early 2000s, Hayao Miyazaki directed Spirited Away, a
beautifully animated story about a young girl who wanders through a world of spirits after her
parents’ become pigs. It became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history and won the Oscar
for best animated feature in 2003. Thanks to the creators of manga, Nintendo, and Hello Kitty,
American audiences have already come to regard Japan as a fantasy land.

The last few decades show Japan's image has been transformed from fearsome enemy to creative
fantasy factory. Astro Boy was the first anime to appear on American screens. Other anime like
Speed Racer and Star Blazers quickly followed it into the US market. Then came perhaps the
first big anime hit in the United States: Battle of the Planets, also known in Japan as
"Gatchaman". In 1979, the show was broadcast by 100 network affiliates. "This would be many
American teenagers' and young adults' first exposure to Japanese pop."

Takashi Murakami, a Japanese artist, has described Japan as the world's first post-apocalyptic
society, the result of two atomic explosions that instilled deep trauma in the national psyche. He
believed that Japanese artists had turned to manga, anime, and other forms of pop culture to
grapple with and express their anxieties. In the years following World War II, Japan’s economy
grew so quickly that in 1968 it unseated West Germany’s as the second-largest in the world.
Japan's economic success influenced its cultural industries.
Japanese consumers, flush with disposable income, spent freely on everything from
entertainment to clothing, fuelling the growth of those industries. Anime is now one of Japan's
most powerful cultural exports and a driving force in shaping Japan's image beyond its borders.
In the 1990s, Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon helped it gain traction, and it is now popular
enough to be on Netflix.

Japan has lost its position as the world leader in electronic manufacturing, having been surpassed
by other Asian countries such as China and Korea. The Japanese people are aware of their
country's decline in that area. However, Japanese pop culture like anime, manga, and even
characters like Hello Kitty in fashion are one-of-a-kind.

Manga and anime (Japanese animation) provide many non-Japanese people worldwide with their
first cultural exposure. One can read manga about young athletes, serial killers, anthropomorphic
cats, nuclear clean-up workers, influential librarians, or destitute deities. Manga has acted as a
vehicle for continued international links in France as an alternative to the French cultural
presence in Algeria. Manga became popular in the post-Soviet era, allowing educated youth to
escape communism's limitations and profit-seeking excesses. Most manga readers are young and
naïve when they first encounter it has amplified its impact on them and their worldview. Manga
can help form people's impressions of other countries or provide a window into Japanese culture
for young people. Manga and anime have served as role models for many progressive ideas. The
universe of anime and manga is both a Japanese and fantastical world. It works on both levels as
an actual culture that people can visit in Japan and this other culture that they can conjure up in
their heads.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• What are the consequences of Japanese anime's internationalization?

• Is Japanese Anime actually a form of Japanese's cultural imperialism?
• How sudden success of anime is masking a troubling economic reality.

SCOPE OF STUDY
The study will examine into anime's expanding popularity around the world, as well as the impact
it has on its fans compared to the broader public. It will investigate the disparities in perspectives
between the two audiences and draw conclusions from them. The population size will be
unrestricted, and the survey will be open to people of all ages. Gandhinagar and Ranchi are the
only locations available. It is possible to promote the survey on social media in order to increase
participation across the country. However, due to time constraints, the survey will be distributed
mostly among educational institutes and schools.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design: The study will have an interpretative research approach to collect data from
both primary and secondary sources in order to thoroughly examine and direct the learning. An
exploratory quantitative research design will be used in this study.

Primary research is information will be gathered directly from the subjects. It will study and
make conclusions from the differences in perceptions between individuals who watch anime and
those who do not.

The secondary strategy will comprise gathering data from already published primary research as
well as performing web research to gain information from sources such as case studies.

Area of the Study: The setting for the proposed study, will be primarily to educational
institutions and schools. Although there are no age restrictions it is feasible to use social media to
promote the survey and encourage participation across the country.

Sampling Strategy: For this study, simple random sampling would be used, with each member
of the population having an equal chance of being selected. It is a way of gathering data in which
each and every member of a population is chosen at random and solely by chance.

Data Collection, Sources and Methods: The secondary strategy will be to Questionnaires and
surveys will be used to gather primary data from the audience for the study. The data will be
used to generate the observations. Both anime and non-anime fans would be able to participate
in the survey. It will generate valuable data and make use of particular themes in order to reach
the desired result. Their differences/similarities in responses will aid in determining a conclusive
research solution.

There would also be the utilisation of secondary data gathered by a different user. It provides
insights to the researcher and aids in the filling of research gaps. The secondary data gathering
approach involves a wide range of internal and external sources of information that will be
relevant for the research project.

Data Analysis: The process of examining, analysing, summarising, informing conclusions, and
supporting decision-making will be used to analyse data. The results will be represented via pie
charts and flow charts to show credibility of the acquired data.

Limitations:

• Despite the fact that the research is making progress, the results are frequently
inconclusive.
• Qualitative data is obtained through exploratory investigation, such information can be
interpreted in a judgmental and biased manner.
• Because of the wide range of issues covered, there's a chance the survey won't be able to
provide an unbiased result
TENTATIVE CHAPTERISATION

ANIME AND JAPANESE IMPERIALISM: DID ANIME SHAPE HOW

THE WORLD SEES JAPAN?
This research paper throws light on the masking reality of Japanese Anime industry and its
impression globally. The report conducts a thorough investigation into anime's cultural
imposition. It also emphasizes the worldwide appeal of anime and its implications.

Sr. No. Content

1. Introduction
2. Problem Statement
3. Hypotheses
4. Objectives of the Study
5. Definition of Key Terms
a. Anime
b. Internationalism
c. Cultural Export
d. Imperialism
e. Cultural Imperialism
6. Review Of Literature
Internationalization of Japanese anime
Japan's cultural imperialism
Cultural exporter
7. Research Question
8. Scope of Study
9. Research Methodology
i) Research Design
ii) Area of Study
iii) Sampling Strategy
iv) Data Collection Sources and Methods
v) Data Analysis
vi) Limitations
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