When you think about Japan, do you picture their auto and electronics industries? If so, you’re probably not alone, as these industries have been the backbone of Japan’s economy for many decades.
That being said, were you aware that Japan is also known for its cultural exports?
Japan has a long track record of creating meaningful and diverse cultural ideas and dialogues—both within the country and across the globe. Japanese media is a balancing act of bizarre and familiar themes that intrigues people from all walks of life.
Most recently, Japan has set a project, Cool Japan, in motion.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is working to promote the nation’s creative industries — specifically art, food, crafts, fashion, tourism and media — at home and overseas.
So far, the project is going very well, as locals and foreigners are becoming very involved in Cool Japan’s content, which gives them both something familiar and something new to explore.
Take otaku, for example, which is a group of people who are obsessed with Japanese anime and manga.
Cultural mainstays of Japan were already popular around the globe, but they’re currently expanding more rapidly than before as Japan promotes its cultural exports. This growth is only expected to continue or increase as Japan prepares to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The big player
To further the ideals of Cool Japan, the MINDOL project has been established. This project will create new content in anime, cinema, games, manga, and music that will help further Japan’s cultural dissemination.
Another unique feature of this project is its progressive model, which is based on the Ethereum blockchain. Although the choice to use blockchain is monumental for many reasons, it will highly support two facets of MINDOL — copyright management and transparency of votes and donations.
The team
The lead of MINDOL is its president, Fumihiro Fukukara. Throughout his long career, Fumihiro has worked for several companies in Wakayama and Tokyo. He’s also acquired and sold construction, renewable energy, food, fashion and beauty companies.
Koichi Ishizuka serves as the first adviser to MINDOL. As a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Aoyama Gakuin University, Harvard Business School and CEO of Photo Holdings Inc., Koichi provides invaluable insight and guidance.
Next on the list of world-renowned business leaders is advisor Neal Schaffer. Schaffer is a top social media influencer and consultant who’s been recognized by Forbes as one of the “Top 30 Social Salespeople in the World” and Adobe as one of “Marketing’s 10 Biggest Thought Leaders.” Schaffer is also an educator and speaker who has presented at hundreds of events on multiple continents.
In addition, the project also benefits from Gil Junger, a Hollywood film producer who’s been involved with numerous big-name projects. Most notably, Junger discovered Heath Ledger, who went on to star in “10 Things I Hate About You” and “Dark Knight.”
He also recognized and promoted Julia Stiles, who played important roles in the “Bourne” film series. Additionally, Junger has played a pivotal role in both Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel’s careers.
Industry professionals
In addition to the initiatives’ all-star team, two individuals from the top companies in the media industry will also lend their expertise to the project. The first is Terry Ito from Locomotion, Inc., which is responsible for “Asakusa Yangu Yohinten,” “Minisuka Police,” “Kyuyo Meisai,” and “Ariehen Sekai.”
Tatsuya Ariga from Touch Planning Group, the creators behind the subculture projects “Tama New Town,” “Mote Fuku,” “Ani-son Café Yumegaoka,” “Akiba Na Renchu” and “Cho-D,” will also serve as an advisor.
Ongoing content plans
MINDOL is working tirelessly to discover, create and promote influencers across media platforms, from bloggers to vloggers. Since illustration is a mainstay of Japanese culture, the project is also searching for buried content and uncovered talent to create new illustrations.
Another notable project that’s currently being developed in conjunction with the Ministry of Defense is “Sora No Oshigoto.”
The work will be an action youth fantasy martial arts cartoon. Once the animation is complete, manga and game character products will be developed and prepared for worldwide distribution.
What’s next?
This year, MINDOL has established several goals for themselves.
In August, they will officially be listed on cryptocurrency exchange. In October, they will announce the details of their animation project. Before December is finished, they’ll start figure production with a popular artist and doll maker.
In 2019, MINDOL will release both a boys’ and girls’ ver novel, as well as a girls’ ver comic series. To round things out, in 2020, they will sell their figures at the Wonder Festival Winter — the world’s biggest figure festival — and start playing their TV animation broadcasts and radio programs.
Expanding culture
To many, Japan is a marvelous dreamland that’s filled with fascinating technology.
Additionally, Japanese people are known to be clean, efficient and kind people who will go out of their way to help others. If all this wasn’t enough, Japanese culture is remarked to be some of the most fascinating on the earth.
It’s easy to see why Japanese culture is often an area of interest for many global citizens. With MIDOL, Japan’s ideas and cultural narratives will only be further disseminated, bolstering the country’s success.
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