New Image of Japan
The following speech won 1st place in the JHS Prefectural Speech Contest 2007. It was written by Masahiro Haga from Saimyōji Junior High School.
New Image of Japan
What's your image of the word 'Japan'? Mt. Fuji perhaps? Kyoto? Sushi or samurai? These are old-fashioned ideas. Ask many young people and they will answer "Nintendo, Akiba, Maid Cafes." This is due to the influence of 'Akiba-boom' a huge modern sub-culture that has swept Japan. It includes not only the country's massive games industry but also many other types of entertainment. One of these is Japanese animation films. I'm crazy about such 'anime'. What? Am I 'Otaku'? An animation geek? Yes. Maybe you can call me 'Otaku'. But I am not ashamed and will try to tell you why.
It all began with 'Pokemon' and 'Doraemon'. When I was little, I was a big fan of both. First, pokemon was a bit hit game and then later was made into an animation. At that time in kindergarten we role-played 'Pokemon' every day. Obviously we didn't have any fire or electric shocks so we made do by hitting each other. But soon we weren't playing 'pokemon' anymore and were just fighting. I remember being scolded by our teacher!
Doraemon was another of my favourite animations. He is a cat-shaped robot and his secret tools realize anything you wish for. Doraemon was a God to me. I learned about friendship, love and the importance of nature through watching Doraemon.
Animations meant so much to me when I was young. But gradually as I got older, I began to lose interest in them and did other things instead. But then, when I entered junior high school, a new craze happened. It was called 'Akiba boom'. Lots and lots of animations were being made, not for children, but for teenagers and adults. It was all centred in the Tokyo district of Akihabara hence the name 'Akiba-boom'. These animations were based on stories from games, comics and light novels. Fans of the originals were consequently becoming interested in the animations as well. I was caught up in the craze too and loved anime again.
Soon I was a member of Otaku. At school my classmates said, "You are 'kimoi' or strange." But a very popular comic was then animated and my friends all became anime fans too. Now at lunch time we sit together, listening to anime songs and swinging along to the music.
What makes us so excited?
When I watch animation, I am impressed with its beauty, the voices, actions, stories, and the songs. I also enjoy the way the original story has been developed and changed. But anime fans have a bad reputation. They are labelled as Otaku - geeks. One day I saw a TV program about "Akiba-boom". One Otaku said, "Why is it cool to like music, but liking anime is sad? What I like doing is the most important thing - not other people's attitudes". I think he is right.
I'm sure animation is now a part of modern Japanese culture. Both located in Kyoto, there is a very big game company, Nintendo and a famous animation production company, Kyoto Animation. I think it's very fitting to see both new and old cultures sitting side by side in a very Japanese city.
So, don't laugh at me because I like animation.
Don't make a fool of me even if I am Otaku. Because we Otaku may just be the new image of Japan!
