VOL.199 JANUARY 2025
[NEW YEAR'S ISSUE 2025] CELEBRATING A BRIGHT NEW YEAR IN JAPAN
[Treasures of Japanese Culture] Anime: A Subculture That Gives a Sense of Japanese Values and Culture
©1989 HEADGEAR / BANDAI VISUAL / TOHOKUSHINSHA
A scene from the feature animated film Patlabor: The Movie. In the center of the photo is a humanoid robot, the lead machine in Patlabor.
Massimiliano Sgai, an Italian who lives in Japan, has been fascinated by Japanese anime since childhood, and he studied Japanese literature at university. We interviewed him about the appeal of Japanese anime, which enjoys international popularity, and the anime works he would recommend to people around the world.
One of the images that comes to mind when people around the world hear “Japan” is the spectacular robot world depicted in anime. * Back home in Italy, I used to watch Japanese anime from the 1970s and 80s, with robots flying through space and fighting desperately to protect human freedom. I still have strong memories of the excitement I felt watching those anime. There were many titles I watched, including Mazinger Z** and Mobile Suit Gundam, *** but the one that had the strongest impact on me was Mobile Police PATLABOR (see column).
The Mobile Police PATLABOR franchise has expanded to include an original video animation series, manga, novels, games, etc. The photo is of the cover of the original video animation series.
Although this work appears to be a sci-fi (science fiction) story far removed from the real world, it develops around various social issues that exist in daily life. Japanese police and Labors, which are walking work machines based on robotic technology, protect the safety of the city. As you watch, you will begin to get a sense of what the real Tokyo may actually look like in the near future. In addition, this work allows viewers to experience daily life from the perspective of a Japanese person and to learn about the mindset of the Japanese people, including their way of thinking, social manners, and diligence, which may otherwise be difficult to see when simply visiting Japan as a tourist.
In this anime, viewers can also learn about the characters’ personalities and deep-seated concerns, thus better understanding Japanese ways of thinking. Knowing the core values of the Japanese people is important for communication, and I feel that this knowledge has helped me in my actual interactions here. In Japan, as illustrated by the concepts of honne (true feelings and desires) and tatemae (behaviors and opinions displayed in public), words and actions sometimes do not seem to match. I think this is due to the typical Japanese cultural trait that each person has a variety of faces, and the face they play changes depending on the situation. The opportunity to learn about such national characteristics of the Japanese people through this anime is another aspect of its appeal.
In addition to the interesting story, another great thing about Mobile Police PATLABOR is that such Japanese cultural elements are hidden throughout the anime. If you have visited Japan before, this anime will make you nostalgic.
There are many Japanese anime works similar to Mobile Police PATLABOR that make you think and learn at the same time, offering a realistic lesson about Japan. Works such as Akira, **** Ghost in the Shell, ***** and Neon Genesis Evangelion****** are not just anime, but an invitation to experience Japanese technology and imagination, Japan’s past and future, and an evolving Japanese culture in real time. And that is something profound beyond words.
The manga Mazinger Z pioneered the genre of giant robot anime.
If you travel to Japan after watching these anime works, you will surely feel like you are in a magical space where the world of anime is connected to the real world. I would be very happy if this experience reinforces your desire to learn more about Japan.
Mobile Police PATLABOR
Produced by Headgear, a creative unit consisting of five manga artists and filmmakers, Mobile Police PATLABOR began with the release of a series of six original video animated films and a serialized manga, and has expanded to include feature films, TV animation series, novels, and games.
Mobile Police PATLABOR is set in Tokyo at the end of the 20th century, when rapid advances in robotic technology have led to the widespread use of giant, pilot-controlled humanoid robots called “Labors.” The fast spread of Labors has created a new type of social threat in the form of accidents related to Labors and crimes involving their exploitation. To combat this threat, Second Special Vehicle Division is established in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, resulting in the formation of the Patrol Labors Fleet under the Second Special Vehicle Division, also known as “Patlabors.” In addition, the Metropolitan Police Department introduces a new type of humanoid robots for police missions and establishes Second Platoon as a new unit under the Second Special Vehicle Division to operate them. The story revolves around the activities of the unique characters assigned to Second Platoon, who look and act nothing like police officers.
Massimiliano Sgai
Originally from Italy, Massimiliano Sgai now lives in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. He graduated from the Department of Japanese Language of the faculty of Letters at the Graduate School of the University of Turin, and moved to Japan in 2007. After gaining experience as a Japanese-Italian interpreter, he went on to work as a food and lifestyle writer. He is the author of the book, Italia-jin Massi ga Buttonda, Nihon no Kami-gurume (“Japan’s Divine Culinary Treats That Astonished the Italian, Massi”) (KADOKAWA), as well as a number of magazine articles and serialized columns. He writes about the fascinating differences between Italian and Japanese culture, the appeal of Japanese food, and delicious food arrangements from an Italian’s point of view. His long-selling series The Complete Guide to Saizeriya (note) has over 1.5 million page views. Currently, he is involved in a variety of activities ranging from writing serialized columns and essays to planning and copywriting.
* A term used to refer to Japanese animated films. In recent years, it has become part of the English vocabulary.
** A manga work that pioneered the genre of giant robot anime. In it, the main character pilots a giant humanoid robot. It has also been adapted into an anime television series.
*** A sci-fi anime featuring the fictional robot weapon Gundam.
**** Set in Neo-Tokyo in 2019, this manga follows a battle between psychics, the military, and guerrillas. It has been adapted into an animated film, and was also included in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ ranking of Japan’s Media Art Top 100.
***** A sci-fi manga depicting the Ghost in the Shell, an offensive unit led by a cyborg main character with superior abilities in cyber warfare and combat, as they fight against increasingly sophisticated and complex violent crimes. It has expanded into a broad franchise of feature animated films, TV animation, and video games.
****** A sci-fi anime that follows the story of teenage boys and girls who, as pilots of giant Multipurpose Humanoid Decisive Weapon, Artificial Human Evangelion, fight against the Angels, a mysterious enemy, in a world after a global cataclysm known as the Second Impact.
By Massimiliano Sgai
Photo: ©1989 HEADGEAR/BANDAI VISUAL/TOHOKUSHINSHA; ©HEADGEAR / BANDAI VISUAL / TOHOKUSHINSHA; ©NAGAI Go/DYNAMIC PLANNING
