Title

The Diffusion of Foreign Cultural Products: The Case Analysis of Japanese Comics (Manga) Market in the US

Author(s)

Takeshi Matsui Takeshi Matsui (Hitotsubashi University and Princeton University)

Abstract

Matsui outlines the historical development of the U.S. manga (Japanese comics) industry from the 1980s through the present in order to address the question of why foreign cultural products become popular in offshore markets in spite of cultural differences. He focuses on local publishers as "gatekeepers" in the introduction of foreign culture. Using complete data on manga titles published in the U.S. market from 1980 to 2006, he shows what kinds of manga have been translated, published, and distributed for over twenty years and how the competition between the two market leaders, Viz and Tokyopop, created the rapid market growth.

Creation Date

2009-01

Section URL ID

CACPS

Paper Number

37

URL

https://culturalpolicy.princeton.edu/sites/culturalpolicy/files/wp37_matsui.pdf

File Function

Jel

Z11, L82, N85

Keyword(s)

Manga, comics, foreign influences, Japan

Suppress

false

Series

6