Anime and manga legend Hayao Miyazaki has directed sharp criticism toward Japan’s newly-elected Prime Minister, Taro Aso. Seems Miyazaki isn’t fond of Aso’s conservatism, and sees his avowed love of all things otaku as a cynical attempt to make himself more palatable to Japanese centrists.

Prime Minister Taro Aso, a conservative and often gruff political veteran, has tried to soften his image by casting himself as someone who understands the culture of “otaku” (geeks) whose hobbies border on obsession.

But Miyazaki said Aso had no need to advertise his earnest reading of comics.

“I think it’s a shame. It’s something that he should do secretly,” the 67-year-old Oscar-winning animator told reporters Thursday when asked about Aso’s public declarations of admiration for Japanese comics and animation.

Aso chose Tokyo’s Akihabara district, a noted centre for Japan’s comic book subculture, for his first street speech after taking office in September, hailing comics and complaining he could not find enough time to read them.

Miyazaki said Japan should create a proper environment for children rather than building bridges and roads to stimulate the economy.

He warned Japanese children today were surrounded by virtual reality such as television, video games and e-mail.

“I feel a big contradiction as what we are doing may be depriving children of their power,” he said. “But I want to continue this job, believing it is also a happy experience that a child has an unforgettable movie.”

Are you an otaku? Do you want your fifteen minutes of fame? Do you not care if millions of TV viewers see you on a reality show and make fun of you for being a huge dork?

Well AnimeExpo and MTV can hook you up!

Apply!

MTV wants big dopey fangirls/boys for their reality show True Stories, which apparently has been on MTV for ten years even though I’ve never heard of it. Not like I ever watched much MTV though (actually, does anyone still watch MTV??), except for a brief infatuation with Pimp My Ride back when I last had cable about five years ago.

It seems there are only two rules (you have to appear between 16 and 28? Most girls these days look 16 by the time they turn 11…).

Individuals must appear to be between the ages of 16 and 28 and must identify as a fanboy/fangirl.

While this article at Bloomberg is ostensibly about the crossover between two fetishes: anime heroines and flashy automobiles, my curiosity was piqued by the subtext that the selection of Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (dubbed ‘Rozen Aso’ because of his love of manga) has coaxed a number of Japan’s closeted otaku into the daylight.

Maurizio Raffone, a director at Dresdner Kleinwort (Japan) Ltd., feels the pain. “As an Italian, and a car guy, living in Japan, I have to say, I almost cried when I saw the photos” of manga-adorned cars, he said.

Prime Minister Aso, known among otaku as “Rozen Aso” because of his love of the comic book series “Rozen Maiden,” has held political rallies in Akihabara, Tokyo’s nerd center for Japanese anime, electronics and video games.

Aso returned to Akihabara on Oct. 26 to give a speech and appear on a talk show with cartoonists.

“I would like to tell all of you unabashed anime nerds out there that your subculture has spread throughout Asia as the window on Japan,” he said on an earlier visit in 2006.

Sometimes I wonder if the media (Yellow Menace included) does too much to prop up negative stereotypes of otaku behaviour…and then I read this.

A Japanese woman addicted to comics turned to the internet to look for someone to kill her parents after they asked her to clear out her cartoon-filled room, reports said today.
The 36-year-old woman, who was unemployed and lived at home, filled up three rooms with several thousand comic books and videotapes she had collected with an allowance her grandmother sent her, news reports said.

She reportedly became angry after her parents told her to throw away some of her comic books to make space for her sister who was planning to move in.

“I was told to throw away what was precious to me since I was a child. I felt frustrated and angry and wished that my parents would disappear,” she told police, as quoted by Jiji Press and the Sankei Shimbun.

In all fairness, most otaku are (relatively) well-adjusted human beings. This child-woman is clearly fucked up. Sure, I did my share of squabbling with my parents - when I was 17 (and dosed up on loads of 80’s hardcore punk). Don’t think I ever wanted them dead, though.

Otaku-friendly right-wing politician Taro Aso has been elected Prime Minister of Japan. Whether this will result in new trade regulations prompting a tide of hentai and vinyl figures onto U.S. markets is unclear - but is a much-hoped for result, if you ask me.

Aso has also managed a rare feat among LDP members — he’s popular among the young. He’s an avid fan of “manga” comic books, and has spent years arguing that Japan should use its pop culture as a diplomatic tool.

Snap elections, however, would be a major gamble for the party, which is bleeding public support and facing widespread anger over mismanagement of pension funds and a general dissatisfaction with the status quo.

“This could be the beginning of the end of the LDP,” said Jiro Yamaguchi, a political scientist at Hokkaido University. “Aso cannot be another Koizumi. He has no clear policies — just look at his Cabinet lineup, which looks like he only invited his friends.”

Taro Aso, the Japanese politician known for his love of all things otaku (I wonder what kind of vinyl toy collection he has) has been elected leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, bringing him one step closer to attaining the position of Prime Minister.

Aso, 68, a former foreign minister and grandson of a prominent prime minister, received 351 of the 525 votes cast in the Liberal Democratic Party ballot. His triumph over four rivals had been widely expected.

The former Olympic skeetshooter immediately vowed to rejuvenate his troubled party and lead it to victory in as-yet-unscheduled elections in the powerful lower house of parliament.

“Who else but our party can achieve policies in order to address the public’s concerns?” Aso said at LDP headquarters. “I am committed to winning the elections and take a further step to achieve economic recovery and pursue reforms.”

CNN has posted a video profile of Danny Choo, the son of show designer Jimmy Choo (I always thought ‘Jimmy Choo’ had to be a fake name, but I guess not). Danny Choo has found his own path in life, independent of his famous father: to dress as a Stormtrooper and dance his way through Tokyo:

Link

He seems like a nice guy. And he has some groovy moves! Some people might say Danny Choo is a big geek, that he’s just goofing off, that he needs to grow up. Fuck those people. He’s having fun, he’s not hurting anyone, and he makes other people smile. If only everyone had a job like that.

Man, Taro Aso is the gift that won’t stop giving! In addition to being spotted on commuter trains with his nose buried in Rozen Maiden manga, Aso is now trumpeting his geek-cred, hoping to gain populist support.

In an Aug. 5 Sankei newspaper survey, 23 percent of those polled said Aso was the most suitable candidate to lead the country, followed by former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s 17.4 percent and Fukuda’s 6.4 percent. A separate Jiji Press survey last month produced a similar result.

The son of a wealthy cement magnate with ties to the Imperial family, Aso has strived to appeal to common people. In August 2007, he wrote an ode to the country’s geek innovations in an essay entitled “Manga” — Japanese comic books — that appeared on his Web site.

“We didn’t develop manga, karaoke and conveyor-belt sushi because we wanted approval from overseas,” Aso wrote. “We simply like it, and if we become geeks and put all efforts into creating, we’ll win appeal throughout the world.”

Japanese politician Taro Aso, leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and acknowledged anime / manga fan, may be filling the political void left after the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. In addition to establishing the International Manga Award, Aso is also known for being a serious hard-ass and occasional raving lunatic.

Aso has been dubbed ‘Rozen Aso’ by Japan’s otaku community after it became public knowledge that he was a fan of the manga Rozen Maiden.

UPDATE: Just came across this interesting piece at the Times Online, Japan’s comic shares soar on hopes of manga PM.

The short-lived market euphoria surrounding companies that sell or manufacture Japan’s celebrated “otaku” (geeky) goods was, said senior fund managers, a “silly proxy bet” on who will be the next prime minister of Japan.

But bereft of a positive spin on last night’s shock resignation by Yasuo Fukuda, Japanese and foreign brokers rushed to supply clients with a comprehensive list of pop culture stocks that might benefit, should the famously manga-obsessed Taro Aso, Chief Cabinet Secretary, become leader.

One of the larger lists, provided by Macquarie, included 25 names: in many cases the “Aso shares” surged in the first 30 minutes of trading before sanity resumed and the shares slipped back.

The Daily Yomiuri takes note of a recent report issued by the undoubtedly fun Economy, Trade and Industry Minister’ Industrial Structure Council which, among other things, recommends Japanese business to hitch their cart to the draft horse that is ‘Japan cool’…aka ‘Otaku Nerd-dom’.

To put this in reference, imagine if the U.S. Department of Commerce urged U.S. businesses to take heed of Star-Wars and Spider-Man. It’s not as nutty as it sounds - in case you hadn’t noticed, Japanese culture is quite the rage these days, and Japanese business would be stupid not to take advantage of it.

Economy ministry’s Industrial Structure Policy Division Chief Keita Nishiyama said: “We are focusing on the fact that each category, such as akamoji and girly style, has become the taste and lifestyle of young people.

“With cell phones, for example, those who like akamoji fashion tend to choose phones that suit their style. Akamoji followers never buy phones that follow street fashion.”

Taking detailed tastes and favorites of consumers into account, a trend map aims to help private companies develop and sell their products, he said.

“The map may enable a pan-industry approach, such as selling akamoji-style clothes in combination with accessories and cell phones of the same style,” he said.

It has been 10 years since Japan cool became popular, but Japanese industry is not doing a good job of making the most of it, as it is often mocked: The biggest gainer from Japanese anime is Hollywood.