This is correct but it's not really just anime. The "Cool Japan" policy as a whole is.
Without that policy Japan would be just another asian country to westerners, and its biggest defining features to the west would be its crimes and some cars.
I don't think that's true. Japan has a very different relationship to the west than any other Asian country, and it would continue to no matter which path it chose. I mean, they were the only one to form a western style empire and be considered worth speaking to empire to empire, even though looked down on.
Also, I don't see why Japan would feel the need to make WWII war crime apologia to a western audience. The west has largely forgotten about Japan's crimes against China, Korea, and the Soviets, and I don't think that's because our leaders are weebs. It's because the west largely doesn't care about what happens to communists and non-white people.
Yeah. Japan was a functioning country again by the mid-1950's. They were never made to apologize like Germany was. Lots of people in the west don't even know about their current problems, let alone past offenses.
Anime has a 60 year history while "cool japan" as a policy that has some general focus on anime barely has a decade. And the anime industry and creators of today were still formed by the extremely rich and complex history of the industry and the mentorships and influences between people. So anime would be pretty much completely the same devoid of the existance of any "Cool Japan" policy or focus. Japan just has an extremely unique and rich history in manga and animation and that has and had nothing to do with any concious attempt of international marketing of the country .Hell for the vast majority of the mediums existance the creators straight up didnt know and didnt have a shit about the world outside of japan while making anime
This is correct but it's not really just anime. The "Cool Japan" policy as a whole is.
Without that policy Japan would be just another asian country to westerners, and its biggest defining features to the west would be its crimes and some cars.
I don't think that's true. Japan has a very different relationship to the west than any other Asian country, and it would continue to no matter which path it chose. I mean, they were the only one to form a western style empire and be considered worth speaking to empire to empire, even though looked down on.
Also, I don't see why Japan would feel the need to make WWII war crime apologia to a western audience. The west has largely forgotten about Japan's crimes against China, Korea, and the Soviets, and I don't think that's because our leaders are weebs. It's because the west largely doesn't care about what happens to communists and non-white people.
Yeah. Japan was a functioning country again by the mid-1950's. They were never made to apologize like Germany was. Lots of people in the west don't even know about their current problems, let alone past offenses.
its because our leaders rehabilitated and armed japanese right-wingers again just like in western germany.
Anime has a 60 year history while "cool japan" as a policy that has some general focus on anime barely has a decade. And the anime industry and creators of today were still formed by the extremely rich and complex history of the industry and the mentorships and influences between people. So anime would be pretty much completely the same devoid of the existance of any "Cool Japan" policy or focus. Japan just has an extremely unique and rich history in manga and animation and that has and had nothing to do with any concious attempt of international marketing of the country .Hell for the vast majority of the mediums existance the creators straight up didnt know and didnt have a shit about the world outside of japan while making anime