The other day I asked an executive at Kodansha, Japan's largest comics publisher, what happened to Hideaki Anno. In the 1990s, Anno created "Neon Genesis Evangelion," a cartoon series that introduced generations of young people all over the world to Japanese pop culture. "Evangelion" is now a household name all over the world, like "Star Wars" or "Batman," but in the last decade, Anno hasn't released any major follow-ups.
The Kodansha executive replied that since Anno is rich, he no longer has to work, and is probably just enjoying life.
That answer could have served as a metaphor for the entire Japanese entertainment industry — including Kodansha itself. Basking in the comfort of a captive domestic market, Japan's comics and animation producers have passed up huge opportunities to expand into global businesses. As a result, the country is losing out on a key potential export market.
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