The nature of Japanese cultural exports

“In the rise of a new desire for Japan led worldwide by contemporary forms of popular culture, original creations made in Japan are sold to foreign TV networks and media conglomerates (sometimes largely participated or even owned by Japanese companies). Those cultural exports are in effect multimedia content in ‘new’ fields such as animation, videogames and pop music. Cultural content (‘software’) contrasts with the more traditional assets that Japan has been exporting, such as food, bonsai*, martial arts, poetry or, more recently, technology (‘hardware’).*

It is pertinent to ask about the special characteristics of those Japanese cultural products that make them desirable and popular far beyond the Japanese borders, and to reflect on ‘how Japanese’ they are, and in what ways.”

Two days ago I finished this short paper (“Considerations about the nature of Japanese cultural exports”, in PDF) for the university. It is part of the application process for the MA that I want to do this year. Yesterday my future professors confirmed to me, unofficially, that I am accepted. 万歳！ (which translated into Spanish means, roughly, “la que me espera… me voy a cagar la pata abajo”).