In the world of Japanese entertainment, there was also a thriving film industry, with directors like Hayao Miyazaki and Akira Kurosawa gaining international recognition. In a small, independent cinema in the Shimokitazawa district, a group of film enthusiasts gathered to watch a classic anime movie.

Japanese cinema is a study in extremes: the quiet, contemplative art of Ozu and Kore-eda versus the explosive destruction of Godzilla.

In anime, the "power of friendship" is a cliché, but it genuinely reflects the collectivist nature of Japanese society. Western heroes often rebel against the group to save the individual; Japanese heroes often save the community by integrating into it. This cultural bias extends to corporate structure: "Nemawashi" (consensus building) is as common in a game studio like Nintendo as it is in a car manufacturer.

To romanticize the Japanese entertainment industry is to ignore the structural constraints. The industry is run by powerful agencies (e.g., Yoshimoto Kogyo for comedy, the former Johnny’s for idols) that exert total control over talent. Until very recently, contracts were feudal; leaving an agency meant career death. Getty images of "black" schedules, unpaid overtime, and a culture of soudan (consultation, but really, pressure to comply) are standard.

Conversely, there is Mono no Aware (the bittersweet awareness of impermanence). This is the melancholic beauty of cherry blossoms falling or a samurai accepting death. This sensibility runs deep in Japanese cinema (the windswept loneliness of Spirited Away or the nostalgic twilight of Only Yesterday ) and video games (the dying world of Shadow of the Colossus or the seasonal decay in Persona 5 ). It teaches the audience to appreciate beauty precisely because it is fleeting.