On January 18th, Nishikawa Takanori (a.k.a T.M. Revolution) was appointed as the public ambassador for the ‘Anime Mirai‘ project at a press conference in Tokyo.
‘Anime Mirai’ began in 2010 as an initiative from the Agency of Cultural Affairs.
This bureau sought to promote Japanese anime culture and encourage the
growth of young animators by providing opportunities and funding. ‘Anime
Mirai’ selects four applicant teams to produce original anime shorts
that are 25 minutes in length. The works are not only presented in
theaters, but are also shown on television and on the Internet.
On this day, Nishikawa was introduced by Nippon Broadcasting System announcer Yoshida Hisanori as “the Japanese anime fan with the most followers.”
Smiling, Nishikawa revealed that he really was an avid fan of anime. “When
I was young, both of my parents worked, so my only friend was anime. I
learned morals and the importance of family from anime.”
As the ambassador for anime, Nishikawa expressed passion for the culture. “Compared
to other countries, Japan can boast about its anime culture. As the
costs for mass-produced anime increase, however, there is a rapid shift
towards the use of cheaper overseas labor for production. The original
techniques of animation from Japan have also flown overseas. I think
that we must consider seriously on how to prevent this spirit of
animation in Japan from fading.”
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Nishikawa also revealed that he wanted to promote Japanese culture, as well as its anime, to other countries.
He shared a story about how he participated in a ‘Introduction to Japan’ project while on the abingdon boys school’s European tour. Though hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, “This type of project was relatively unknown within Japan,” he lamented. “….I want to also become a force in increasing the awareness of Japanese culture in the world.”
The
applicant requirements for the 2012 project will be released in April.
Furthermore, the 2011 works of the four groups involved in the project
– Answer Studio, Shirogumi, Telecom Animation Film, andProduction I.G – will be released in nine Japanese theaters starting on March 24th.
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