Japan has decided to launch a public-relations offensive against anti-Japan nationalism in China by promoting manga and j-pop.:

To polish Japan’s tarnished image in China, the Foreign Ministry plans to start a new program aimed at spreading Japanese animations and J-pop in the giant neighbor.

It is the first time Japan has set aside money to promote Japanese animated programs in China. The overall budget for China-related PR will be 3.11 billion yen in fiscal 2006, up 1.16 billion yen over the fiscal 2005 budget.

The move is meant to forestall further deterioration of Japan’s public image in China following an upswing in anti-Japanese sentiment sparked by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to Yasukuni Shrine.

Under the plan, the Foreign Ministry will financially support distribution of selected animated series and songs to provincial broadcasters in China.

Japan’s animated TV shows already have many Chinese fans. "Ikkyu-san," a story about a novice Buddhist monk, and "One Piece," a comedy adventure series about a group of young pirates, are just two popular examples.

That’s roughly $26.6 million Japan is going to spend on promoting good relations, not an inconsequential sum. AsiaPundit would ordinarily question such spending purely from a fiscal perspective. However, Northeast Asian relations have deteriorated to such a dangerous level that a bit of excess spending is not a bad thing.

Besides, they can just cut something else from the budget to make up for it.:

PM Koizumi has firmed his stance not to include funds to survey the possibility of a national war memorial (to replace the Yasukuni shrine) in the national budget draft, a move seen to be caused by a lack of public interest.

Government sources explained that the “environment has not been prepared to include survey funds in next year’s budget,” which will be formally decided on Dec. 22. The funds were not included in the MOF’s budget recommendations, released the same day.

Another part of the decision, say government officials, was that including the funds would not likely have contributed to repairing relations with China and South Korea.

The govt plans to continue deliberating on the merits of including the funds while “carefully watching public opinion.” There is momentum within the “Group to Consider a National [War] Memorial,” which crosses party lines to include members from the ruling LDP and New Komeito as well as the main opposition DPJ, to demand the inclusion of such funding in next fiscal year’s revised budget or reserve funds. However, it is unlikely to be included in a budget during Koizumi’s tenure.

(Via East Asia Watch, Marmot and Mutant Frog)

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