It seems even Japan is concerned with the future of manga in the wake of censorship we’ve come to see over here in the west! And by Japan. I mean one Mangaka by the name of Ken Akamatsu, creator of UQ HOLDER and Love Hina manga, who had a meeting with the Japanese National Government to discuss manga and how it can succeed in the next 10 years. Of course, other mangaka are concerned too!
According to the tweet he posted:
“This month, I was invited to participate in a House of Councillors witness questioning session, but instead, a member of the DIET [Japanese government] asked me, ‘What measures are needed for Japanese manga need to survive in the world?’ I replied, “First and foremost, freedom of expression. Compared to other countries, Japan’s forte is its freedom of creativity. However, with foreign platforms becoming more and more dominant, I would like to avoid a situation where Japanese works are regulated by foreign standards.'”
It’s interesting to see that even Japan has begun to feel concerned by the pressure of the western world’s desire to censor a lot of things! The reason why we enjoy anime and manga the way we do is how they’re not afraid to explore various themes without worrying about censorship. Well, excessive censorship to be precise because even Japan has its limits!
Basically, Akamatsu fears that with the growing influence of America enforcing their parameters on other countries’ work, especially with how mainstream anime and manga has gotten over the past few years. If this keeps up, Japan might decide to stop licensing their work to America and Europe!
