Japan's Most Prominent Technical School Holds Graduation Exhibition [2/3]

Continuing our report on the “Nippon Engineering College Graduation Exhibition 2013,” we interviewed Mitsuru Sato, head of NEEC’s Creator’s College, about the present state and prospects of foreign students studying pop culture in Japan.

TOM: When we were looking at the displayed works, we noticed there were some made by overseas students. How did these students get into NEEC?
Sato: In most cases, admirers of Japanese pop culture take the Nihongo Kentei Japanese language exam and get admitted into school so that they can challenge themselves in making artwork. There are also students who came in contact with Japanese culture and learned the language from their favorite anime and manga while living in Japan, then came to our school.

TOM: Please tell us, how many foreign students are currently studying at NEEC?
Sato: In the whole school, around 280, and half of them are currently enrolled at the Creator’s College, which handles voice acting and animation. The number of foreign students applying for the Creator’s College is increasing every year, and I think this trend will continue and will be focused on students from Asian countries. As the name of the school suggests, it was established as an engineering school in 1974, but now one third of the students are enrolled in the Creator’s College (laughs).

TOM: From the standpoint of someone from this popular department, raising the next generation, how do you think Japanese pop culture, anime, and manga will change?
Sato: First, I think Japanese pop culture is nearing its limits as a domestic business. The market is saturated and the successors of creative skills are decreasing. Moreover, overseas countries are catching up to us, especially South Korea, Taiwan, and China have made remarkable progress by introducing American CG art. Also, countries that picked up Japanese culture from earlier, such as Thai, Indonesia, and Vietnam, are at a very high level in making illustrations. It could be said that on terms of drawing single pictures they have reached the same level as Japan. However, in the realm of anime and manga, where story is the most important, Japan still has the lead. That’s why the people from the aforementioned countries consciously want to learn about making a story, the part they lack in.

TOM: What kind of future visions do these students have?
Sato: Most of them want to work in Japan. On the other hand, I think it is also important that the students take the skills learned in Japan back to their home countries in order to permeate Asia with Japanese techniques. Wouldn’t it be most ideal if the students opened schools in their own countries and taught the locals? Rather than Japanese people teaching them locally, it’s better if someone from their own country teaches them, fusing Japanese culture with their own, that way, much more excellent works could be born. Therefore, it doesn’t end with learning the techniques. We are also putting efforts into our instructor training project that aims to pass on the knowledge learned. Even from an international point of view, excellent creators teaching throughout the world is good for the distribution of talent.

For example, it is very difficult for foreign students to become voice stars in Japan, but it is very possible for them to become a voice stars or teach voice acting in their own countries after mastering the know-hows here. As an educational institution, we would like to nurture those possibilities.

The time when foreign students who have studied in Japan play a role in the world’s pop culture may be close at hand.

This is a TokyoOtakuMode original article.