In an attempt to explain Japan’s defense strategy in a simple manner, Mainichi Daily news reported the Japanese Defense Ministry’s release of the manga, Heiwa no Kuni no Nebaarando (The Neverland of the Peaceful Country). Released in January, 2007, the manga is a huge hit with young folk and otaku alike.
This was in follow up to the Ministry’s first manga, Manga de Yomu Boeisho Hakusho (Defense Ministry White Papers in Manga) published by the Japan Defense Foundation for Mutual Aid.
The white papers referred to in the title are actually the annual defense report released each year. 2004’s defense report, the one which the manga is about, weighed in at 450 long pages.
Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said:
“We hope the public reads the report so that we gain their understanding,”
That and, “We must compile something that is easy to read.”
Both manga are set up as a dialog between the lead character, a gothic lolita, and her teddy bear. Interestingly enough, this is not the first time the Ministry of Defense has used cutesy characters in their ad campaigns. Prince Pickles is another cuddly creation concocted by the Ministry as one of their mascots.
“Prince Pickles is our image character because he’s very endearing, which is what Japan’s military stands for,” said Shotaro Yanagi, a Defense Agency official. “He’s our mascot and appears in our pamphlets and stationery.”
Prince Pickles also has a manga, Prince Pickles Diary. Inside are Prince Pickle’s day to day adventures with the Japanese Self Defense Force, or JSDF. The JSDF has also co-produced an anime, Oozora ~Sora~, with Studio Nekoya.
Mochi also mentioned a related-article back in June.
Errr, OK. However weird all that may seem to us as adults, it looks like these mascots are actually geared towards the younger generation. I honestly don’t, or would like not to, believe that goth-loli and chibi mascots are supposed to be learning aids for fully developed Japanese adults.
I remember growing up an Air Force brat and getting comics that helped explain what a pilot does for a living. After reading stuff like that, I was actually inspired to be a pilot (sadly, I wanted to be a fighter pilot and at that time, women weren’t allowed to fly combat missions. That killed that dream…)
I honestly don’t know why this is even considered a “big deal”, so much so that it’s getting attention outside of Japan. Comics and cartoon characters have been helping kids and young adults alike learn about hard to understand concepts for a looonnngg time. (Hellloooo, anybody remember Schoolhouse Rock?)
I think the only reason the manga is even getting this publicity is because it has a young, goth loli as the main character. Geez, if people pay that much attention to an issue because of the character, maybe we here in the US should use Bart Simpson to help explain why over 16% of Americans have no health insurance….
Well, I’d rather read a comic with goth loli characters in it much more than reading those very boring pamphlets they forced upon us at lunch during high school. Those things could’ve stood uber-goth-loli-ification. Maybe then they would’ve been turned into paper airplanes and hurled at other people less often. Make love not war right?
Japan always gets attention whenever big things happen with the SDF. The cute military mascots made some people think they were trying to be appealing to Asia and use their anime/manga cutesy image as a cover for some nefarious plan. My guess is that, especially in Asia, it’s a throwback to WWII.
@Vician, I’m all for whatever helps explain the state of the country to people who normally wouldn’t even bother with it. If goth-lolis help create more informed Japanese, more power to ‘em!
@griever, yeah I read about how many Asian countries are very leery about the Japanese military. It seems like some countries (China, Korea) have very long memories from the war.
But a chibi’ll kill ya dead just as quick as anyone else. (I’ve heard that if you train ‘em right, they’re actually faster). I doubt that whatever the Japanese do, in regards to military endeavors, will be received with anything less than suspicion, chibi or no.
I realize the Japanese did some extremely horrible things during World War II and all, but the SDF isn’t big enough to raid Rhode Island, let alone another country, these days. I guess I’m just not sure what all the nefarious plans are, unless they’ve really begun to create living Pokemon… Well, then I’d be afraid… very afraid.
@Vician, after WWII, the Japanese drew up what’s known as the Peace Constitution in order to publicly state their new found peaceful stance. Some people, however, weren’t buying what the Japanese were selling.
I imagine it’s hard for Japan’s former enemies to swallow that Japan has made a 180 degree about-face in terms of waging war.
I personally think that there’s nothing sinister about the manga. But then again, I don’t live in a country that was occupied by the Japanese during the war.
In Feb. 1946, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander of the occupation forces, had formed a constitutional assembly of 24 westerners. The hope of these architects of the Japanese Constitution, was to create a “Switzerland of the Far East”. It was endorsed by Emperor Hirohito and it became the Constitution in Nov. of 1946. The specific section which deals with military issues is Article 9. It forbids Japan from maintaining a military. It also forbids Japan from using force internationally (no exceptions).
“ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.”
In 1954, the SDF was created. How does this reconcile with Article 9? The SDF is technically an extension of the national police force. The legality was debated and it wasn’t until 1959, that the Japanese Supreme Court ruled the SDF constitutional. Also, this means that all members of the SDF (all are volunteers) are technically civilians.
The current SDF, while not as formidable or as well balanced as some other militaries, is also not as weak as some may think. It has more than 240,000 members and has an annual budget approaching $50 billion.
There is a push from both inside and outside of Japan to amend Article 9 to allow the SDF to have a more active role in international peace keeping operations. Ironically, one of the biggest supporters of this change is the US. It seems that the US no longer wants a “Switzerland of the Far East”…rather they seem to want a “Great Britain (Bush-era) of the Far East”.