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In the fourth issue, we will talk about the situation of Japanese media content in Mexico and its market potential. We interviewed Edgar from Mexico, who is a MA student researching the Japanese government's "Cool Japan" project at Waseda University in Tokyo.
He also runs a YouTube channel and Podcast with a large number of followers to deliver his own perspectives on Japanese media content, culture and daily life in general.
-- You think that the Mexican market is important for the Japanese media content industry. Could you tell us why you think so?
Edgar: "I think the Latin American market is not taken into account by the Japanese media content industry. However, by not putting the emphasis on Latin America, I think you're turning away a lot of possibilities for creating business. And why Mexico? Mexico is the biggest Spanish speaking market in the world. So basically if you enter Mexico, you enter the entire Latin American region. For example, when "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" was released in Latin America, I think the company that first bought the rights was an Argentinian or Chilean, but the first market that it was brought to was Mexico. Because if you're not selling well in Mexico, then it's not worth trying in the rest of the Latin American market. I think that's something many local American or Latin American companies understand. In addition, approximately 90% of the Spanish translation of Japanese media contents is done in Mexico. That means almost all Latin American people watch Japanese media content with Mexican actors' voices. There are some voice actors who also sing the Spanish version of the theme songs. Sometimes they are even invited to sing at the conventions in other Latin American countries. I found it very interesting because they are not that big in Mexico, but are popular in the other Latin American countries. So if you could bring the original Japanese voice actors or singers, it could be much bigger!!"
-- Once you make Spanish subtitles or dubbing to movies or anime, will it be also used in the other Latin American market? Or in the Spanish market?
Edgar:"Actually if you dub the anime in Mexico, it can be used in Spain. It may not be 100% accepted by the consumers, but if it is the other way around, it won't work. Because we are not used to listening to Spanish from Spain. There are lots of differences as well. Subtitles would be fine I think, but people in Latin America would not be happy to listen to a Spanish accent. If it were like a Spanish TV show made in Spain, then people might not care. But if it were anime or Japanese films, you'd better do it in Mexico so that it can be used in the rest of the Spanish speaking countries."
-- I heard that there are also Japanese conventions and festivals in Latin American countries, did they all also start in Mexico and spread from there?
Edgar:"I don't know the whole history of manga conventions or festivals for all of Latin America, but what I know as a fact is that conventions in Mexico actually started as a project by some University students and now it's become a huge business. For example, the biggest manga convention in Latin America is held in Mexico City. They have to divide the events into four weekends because there is not enough space to fit in the people who are visiting on just one weekend. Each one of them has at least 30,000 people attending. I don't know the exact number, but I'm sure the number of fans is increasing year by year. Since I was in high school.it has grown from just once a year to four times a year. "
In addition, I just checked on Facebook and found out that the Mexican governmental organization "Cineteca Nacional" will hold a Japanese Anime Festival; the first ever anime festival in the Cineteca Nacional! This means the government is sponsoring Anime! (Spanish only: http://www.cinetecanacional.net/php/cartelera_ciclos.php?Tit=Anime.%20La%20animaci%C3%B3n%20japonesa%20de%20posguerra%20&ClvCic=1941)
-- Why did you become interested in Japanese media content in the first place?
Edgar:"When I was a junior high school student, in the mid-90s, it was a time when anime started to be shown on TV, so I used to watch 'Saint Seiya' and anime like that as a child. At first, I wasn't really into it. But one day, a friend of mine got me a VHS of 'Evangelion' and I thought, "This is cool! I want to know more". In those days, there was no internet so it was hard to get information. What I could get was only the VHS tapes which were somewhere around 30 - 40 dollars and too expensive for a junior high school student to afford. As a college student, I majored in International Relations of the Asian Pacific region and studied Japanese diplomacy, economics and history. Then, I also started an anime club.
-- You are running a Podcast and YouTube channel. Could you tell us how you manage these?
Edgar:"With the YouTube channel, I publish my daily life in Japan with videos in Spanish. We have this idea of "making challenges". But when we don't have time, we just go to an Izakaya and order something weird to eat, and show it to people. We have been wanting to try "Basashi Ice-cream" (raw horse sashimi ice-cream (!?)) because our viewers asked us to. I think that video is easy to make in a certain level because my whole idea is to put on a show. For example, I have eaten natto, a spoon of wasabi, and a tuna head. So there are many things you cannot find outside of Japan, something different that we don't find at home, and that could be very interesting to people abroad. It started last September, and now we have more than 6,300 subscribers. So I think there is a lot of interest in daily life in Japan by Spanish speaking people.
And the Podcast, it's a little bit more academic. We are three university students and have a standard format for each episode. First, we talk about current issues that arehappening in Japan and exchange our opinions and move on to today's topic. That requires a little more research because we don't want to give misinformation to the listeners. So first, we look for news and read some sources as well. We feel responsible for the listeners because we receive e-mails with requests and feedback. We just have 11 episodes right now since it started in February 2014, but we have about 150-200 subscribers. That's a big number for a Podcast which just started. "
※YouTube channel "World Meets Japan": youtube.com/worldmeetsjapan
※Podcast "Living Japan": search "Living Japan" on iTunes or livingjapanpodcast.wordpress.com
Thank you Edgar. The interview will continue in the next issue. We will further talk about the future of Japanese media content in Latin America, the comparison with other Asian and American media content and so on. Stay tuned!
Vol.1 : Interviews with "CoFesta Ambassadors": Vol.1 << USA >>
Vol.2 : Interviews with "CoFesta Ambassadors": Vol.2 << Indonesia (1) >>
Vol.3 : Interviews with "CoFesta Ambassadors": Vol.3 << Indonesia (2) >>
More about "CoFesta"
http://www.cofesta.jp/
What is "CoFesta Ambassadors" program?
Through the voices and observations done by overseas consumers of
Japanese media content, CoFesta administration team aim to provide
beneficial information from 1) marketing and 2) promotional points of
view for the CoFesta events and the exhibitors.
Every year, 150 international students studying abroad in Japan are
certified as "CoFesta Ambassadors" for this program.
