Japan is undergoing a quiet revolution. Long known for its talents in miniaturization and for the mass production of electronic consumer products, Japan is gaining a new image: Miniaturization is giving way to "manga," and automobiles to "anime." The traditional arts -- ikebana, "sado" and "shodo" -- continue to flourish but they are being jostled aside by the dynamic domestic and international interest in Japanese popular culture.
The domestic appetite for items like manga or anime has already been carefully documented, although the sheer volume of their sales continues to astound. Manga account "for over 40 percent of all books and magazines sold in Japan -- which works out to 15 copies sold for every one person." Anime is a staple of the television and film industries. We can see cute little anime-inspired images everywhere: hanging from pocketbooks and portable phones, on posters and photos, on dolls and motorized toys.
The real surprise is how enthusiastically young people from Asia, Europe and America have embraced Japanese popular culture. A Hong Kong video retail outlet serves over 50 clients a day, who swarm in to catch the most up-to-date Japanese family drama. Bangkok's most exclusive shopping plaza houses a youth-oriented Japanese book store. Japan pop-oriented Web sites and fan clubs are sprouting up all over North America and Western Europe.