Government aims to use manga and anime in diplomacy to expand ``Japanese fans'' in emerging countries

The government will strengthen ``soft power diplomacy'' that leverages cultural appeals such as Japanese manga and anime. Actively utilize popular content to increase the number of Japanese fans in emerging and developing countries known as the "Global South." The aim is to raise Japan's presence in the international community.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has included 1.83 billion yen in related expenses in its fiscal year 2027 budget request. Develops promotion business for manga, anime, music, movies, etc. The idea is to also develop Japanese language human resources.

Prior to this, we began a cultural exchange project through concerts. In January of this year, the Japan Foundation held a concert of anime songs in Ivory Coast, West Africa. Rock band ``FLOW'' performed the opening theme song for the popular anime ``NARUTO'', exciting the audience of about 600 people.

In recent years, interest in Japanese anime has been increasing in West Africa, and the event was a success, with 2,000 people gathering outside the venue. We are considering holding the event in South America and other countries in 2027 as well. The hope is to expand interest in Japan through concerts in regions where the penetration of Japan is slower than in Europe and Asia.

In order to have a correct understanding of Japan's cultural background, we will begin full-scale training of Japanese translators overseas. They plan to meet with people involved in Japanese publishing and create a Japanese conversation app using manga characters.

The government's focus is driven by China's growing influence in countries in the Global South. It aims to attract people from emerging countries by highlighting globally popular works such as ``ONE PIECE'' and ``Jujutsu Kaisen.''

Content is one of the 17 areas that the government has positioned as an investment destination in its growth strategy. A senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, ``By being designated as a strategic field, we are now able to carry out diplomacy centered on content on a larger scale.We want to make more people aware of the work and increase the number of people who will receive Japan's message favorably.''