Interactive GANAPATI - BUSINESS IN JAPAN
Why it’s time to embrace Japan’s ‘Fushikaden’
Ganapati’s Mitsuya Fujimoto discusses the subtle nuances of doing business in Japan as the gaming industry hungrily eyes its future
Mitsuya Fujimoto, Chief Operating Officer, Ganapati Plc
Mitsuya Fujimoto is the Chief Operating Officer for Ganapati Plc, a new entertainment brand from Japan with global ambitions. He is also Chief Executive Officer for Ganapati Malta, the Ganapati-owned games development studio based in Malta.
The recent controversy around the new Hollywood release, Ghost in the Shell, surrounds its alleged ‘whitewashing’ of the original Japanese animation on which it is based. It seems Hollywood bosses assumed Western audiences couldn’t cope with Japanese actors.
P96 NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE /
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If you work in the arts in my native Japan, the chances are you’re familiar with the teachings of Zeami Motokiyo. Te 14th-15th century playwright is renowned for his insights into the art of performance and his unique take on life.
Most famous amongst his teachings is a treatise on drama titled ‘Fushikaden’ or ‘Te Book of Transmission of the Flower’. In essence, the concept of fushikaden is about transferring ‘the flower of creativity’ from generation to generation. Each generation must learn its predecessors’ art, add something of its own and pass it onto the next generation.
Tis teaching comes to mind as I look at the rush to embrace Japanese culture in the run up to the Japan 2020 Olympics.
Japan is influencing the West more than ever, with sushi restaurants now almost as ubiquitous as the curry house in UK high streets and Japanese animation, better known as Anime, more popular than ever. However as interest increases over the next few years I hope that fushikaden is front of mind for businesses hoping to tap into this market.
Te recent controversy around the new Hollywood release, Ghost in the Shell, surrounds its alleged ‘whitewashing’ of the original
Japanese animation on which it is based. It seems Hollywood bosses assumed Western audiences couldn’t cope with Japanese actors. But fortunately we have come a long way from the days of Breakfast at Tiffany’s Mr Yunioshi and audiences actively seek out a more authentic experience. But it sometimes feels as though businesses have a long way to go to catch up with where their audiences are at.
Today it is all about disruption and walking away from the past. A lot of this is driven by opportunities created by new technologies which opens up new and exciting roads to explore. But in constantly striving for the new and forgetting the lessons of the past, we can be tempted to reject the old instead of embracing it. If instead we strived to understand tradition and our role in maintaining it, as Zeami taught, could it not be possible to achieve a more genuine level
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