This chapter examines the trajectory of manga production, circulation and consumption in postwar Japan to reflect on the ambiguity of the Japanese discourse of “internationalization.” It investigates institutional frameworks for the promotion of Japanese popular culture in relation to the discourse of kokusaika, internationalization, seen as both an attempt to open Japanese society to foreign elements, and an endeavor to reaffirm the value of Japanese culture and disseminate it globally. It further explores how producers and consumers of popular culture engage creatively with these governmental policies and social conventions, leading to the emergence of phenomena such as “gaijin manga.”

Introduction

Manga, Japanese comics, are a particularly useful lens to examine and problematize the notion of postwar Japan, both because the medium acquired its distinctive contemporary form in the years after the end of the Asia-Pacific War, and because its public perception underwent several major transformations in conjunction with public events over the course of the second half of the 20th century. Tracing the history of manga production, circulation and consumption from the late 1940s to the new millennium can thus offer insight into a plethora of social, political, economic and cultural phenomena. One of the most interesting aspects of postwar manga is its intersection with notions of national identity and internationalization. The evolution of postwar manga's themes and styles is best described as characterized by a constant oscillation between inward and outward drives. An examination of the institutional approach to the medium reveals a similar oscillation between shunning manga in the domestic arena and promoting it as a valuable cultural export on the international level. This chapter analyses the trajectory of manga production, circulation and consumption in Japan from the late 1940s to the 2010s, to reflect on the ambiguity of the Japanese discourses of national identity and internationalization, and their connection with the notion of the postwar era. The world of manga is extremely vast and varied, and it would be impossible to present a comprehensive picture of even only the most important among its subgenres within the scope of one book chapter. I will focus primarily on the genres, authors, and texts that in my view best exemplify this tension between nationalistic and transnational drives.