At the opening of the exhibit “Japan: Kingdom of Characters" at The Metropolitan Museum recently, there was a slight commotion and loud shrieks when a male guest garbed in an elaborate costume with golden arabesque patterns complete with a helmet and sleeves fit for a fierce warrior lord descended on the crowd. Upon seeing the “samurai" apparition from a bygone world amid the Lunas, Amorsolos, and Hidalgos, I whispered to Yukie Mitomi, Japan Foundation–Manila assistant director, that I was suddenly transported to the lectures of my professor in 16th century Japanese history and politics, Prof. Kate Wildman Nakai of Sophia University in Tokyo.
A girl’s room full of Hello Kitty characters is one of the items on display at the exhibit. Photo courtesy of Japan Foundation-Manila
The robust image of a samurai in Manila fleetingly brought back memories of the Harvard-educated Nakai patiently explaining to her students the
kokugaku, a school of Japanese philosophy which started in the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868). Prof. Nakai introduced us to the ideas of Motori Norinaga, Arai Hakuseki, Hirata Atsutane, Ogyu Sorai, and Kamo no Mabuchi – all intellectual pop stars of
kokugaku. Some of the art works in 16th century Japan such as the
ukiyo-e (woodblock prints and paintings) are said to have strong parallelisms with the postwar Japan
manga (comics) and
anime (animation). Most notable are the shallow, flat, simple, and symbolic but abbreviated representations of people, scenery, and objects that are common to all three art media. Away from the historical prism, if the almost 66 years of Japanese society since the end of World War II were to be viewed from the popular culture perspective, the decades would correspond to several manga and anime characters that permeate the various social landscapes of Japan. As Japan regained its stature in the global community, these characters conquered the international arena with the vigor and stage presence of a Lady Gaga. The popularization of the personal computer and the invention of the Internet paved the way for the introduction of Flash software, which in turn facilitated the distribution and mass consumption of moving images in Japan. As early as 1992, our school administrators had already assigned email addresses to us. These technological developments did not escape the genre-bending Japanese artists and creative tribes who eventually gave birth to Internet-based anime mascots and the more recent anime-based
cosplay (costume play). The “Japan: Kingdom of Characters" exhibition presents in sweeping but grandiose chronological strokes the history and socio-cultural background of the emergence of each of the most important Japanese characters from 1950 to 2010. The exhibit also explains why a considerable segment of Japanese society is fascinated with them up to adulthood: these mascots are stamped on bank passbooks and train passes, they are visible in supermarkets and vending machines, and have even found their way to the neckties of male office workers in Tokyo. The multi-media exhibit peeks into the future of these characters amid the deep and wide-ranging social and technological transformations of Japan, one of the most advanced countries in the world. The exhibit pays homage to the strong influence of manga culture and the dominance of the television industry in laying the solid foundation for the primacy of the mascot culture.
Shaping character The exhibit is divided into three major sections. The first is labeled “The Honeymoon Between the Characters and the Japanese People" and covers the period from the 1950s, when the immensely popular Astro Boy made his manga debut (1952), to the arrival in 2010 of Rilakkuma (a combination of “relax and “
kuma" meaning bear), a character featured in numerous best-selling books. Statues of Hello Kitty, Ultrama, and Gundam RX78 are on display side by side with the framed photographs of Suzumia Haruhi, Lum, and Doraemon. During the 1950-1960 period, the following mascots were born: Astro Boy, a robot character with the body of a child that was created by Tezuka Osamu, considered as the king of the modern Japanese manga; Osomatsu-kun, serial manga mascots which are sextuplets; Ultraman, a superbeing from a distant universe who generally assumes a human form; Hattori-kun, a boy ninja whose physical features include acorn-shaped eyes, a down-turned mouth, and spirals on his cheeks; and Tetsujin 28 go, a huge robot that was created as a weapon strong enough to pick up a battleship. Hello Kitty, one of Japan’s most famous characters, is a white cat created by Sanrio in the 1970s that is easily recognized by her concisely-drawn face, round black eyes, and a ribbon at the base of an ear. Also introduced in the 1970s were Galaxy Express 999, a train that travels through space from star to star; Mazinger Z, a gigantic robot operated by a high school student called Kabuto Koji; Monchhichi, a doll that’s an innovative cross between a human being and an animal’ and Masked Rider, a modified human being who has the powers of a grasshopper. The 1980s saw the launch of the robot Doraemon from the future who arrived on earth via a time machine; Namennayo/Nameneko, cute kittens who were also tough teens; Mobile Suit Gundam, traditional giant robots featured as war machines instead of just invincible superheroes; Urusei Yatsura, a slap romantic-comedy that involved a host of aliens; and the Bikkuriman characters who represented angels, devils, and protectors. Presented in the 1990s were TarePanda, who always lies exhausted with both cheeks kissing the ground; Chibi Maruko Chan, who hated studying but has a buoyant personality; the witch-in-training Magical Do Re Mi; and Neon Genesis Evangelion, a robot facing the same problems as those of ordinary Japanese people. Pokemon, considered as the “last word in the Japanese character culture," was created in the 21st century. Joining the iconic mascot are Sergeant Keroro, an alien with a frog-like appearance who initially wanted to dominate the world but was captured; the phenomenal portable virtual pet Tamagotchi; the bear Rilakkuma; and Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school student from the future who possesses supernatural powers.
From Pokemon to Tamagotchi, there’s lots to see in this rare exhibit of Japanese mascots. Photo courtesy of Japan Foundation-Manila
The second section called “Daily Life in the Character Kingdom" is a faithful reproduction of a high-school girl’s room filled with Hello Kitty products. The final section, “The Future of Characters," previews the emerging forms of 21st century mascots together with the forces that shape their development. These include the rise of the new Internet, more advanced computer software, and the prevalence of the anime-based cosplay. At the opening night on July 7, which coincided with the Japanese star festival Tanabata, Japan Foundation–Manila director Shuji Takatori likened the Japanese love affair with characters to the Filipinos’ passion toward the bright red bee-like mascot of a popular hamburger chain. Shinsuke Shimizu, minister and head of chancery of the Japanese Embassy in Manila, said Filipinos who will view the exhibit are expected “to be nostalgic" about the characters of their generation. Aside from providing entertainment, he said the Japanese characters also taught life lessons such as the value of hard work, which is useful in times of hardship. –
YA, GMA News The “Japan: Kingdom of Characters" exhibit is on display until Aug. 20 at the Tall Galleries of The Metropolitan Museum at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas complex, Roxas Blvd. Manila. The museum is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. For inquiries, please call 523-0631 or send an email to info@metmuseum.ph 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
