Imagined Japan. Manganime imaginarium and media pilgrimage within the «Cool Japan» campaign
Abstract
In the last decades, the words manga and anime have become part of our everyday language, no longer requiring further clarifications. Meanwhile, in recent years, a worldwide phenomenon has intensified: film locations from famous fiction TV dramas and blockbusters have become touristic hotspots. Manga and anime are not oblivious to this boom.
The depiction of rich and detailed world-settings is one of the foundations of manga and anime, coded within their DNA. A well-built world-setting enables the connection between the reader/spectator and the story being told (Kelts, 2006). On top of that, the fact that Japan is indeed a real place beyond manga and anime’s fictional locations provides a new level of meaning to the stories in both media.
Over the last years, the Japanese government, as well as regional and local councils, have begun to benefit from the touristic potential of manga and anime under the umbrella of “Cool Japan”, the national branding campaign addressed by the government in the early 21st century. This paper will address how this phenomenon develops within the Cool Japan campaign.
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