Corporate Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate Strategy - Research Paper ExampleIt is workable to assume that both companies have large cash reserves spent on research and development. These reserves also enable them to take risks in using up large sums for advertising and promotion. Both companies have good reputation among customers and created damage advantage from propriety know-how. S&W and Makatume take full advantage of the whole tone image their products have earned over time because of automated modern factories and use of modern management methods.Aggressive advertising is used by S&W as the main marketing tool that allows the company to reach wider target audience and expend internationally. Also, cooperation and assistance of such retailers as Big Boxes, allows S&W to stock many of its products. The strength of Makatume is fast growing cordless segment and innovative production facilities in Japan. Makatume has substantial advantages over S&W, especially in its ability to achieve higher levels of qualit y and productivity and in the availability of low-cost labor and financing. Makatume takes full advantage of these benefits in effectively competing with American firms in U.S. markets.The main weakness of S&W is market confusion between its professional and consumer power tools. In contrast to Makatume, S&W does non have a strong position in cordless market segment. Another weakness of S&W is negative attitude of its distributors caused by squall of their market position. S&W cannot react effectively to changing market conditions because of its size and outdated product lines. S&W has a high cost structure (old technologies and high labor cost) which prevents it from rapid growth and depart. The weaknesses of Makatume include lower voltage product market and importance to invest in R&D and introduce sore products, higher voltage segment. It is necessary to develop specific strategies to incorporate quality into product, promotion, pricing, and distribution areas (Johnson, Schol es 2003).Opportunities Favorable economic conditions and arrival of new technologies train both companies opportunities to grow and increase their market share. Favorable exchange rate and stable economic situation in the region provide new opportunities for the product/market expansion grid and a framework for the marketers to consider the balance of product offerings. Threats Increased competition is the main threat for both companies. The growing imports from butcher and low price products proposed by domestic and foreign competitors become a real threat for such giants as W&S and Makatume. The threat of new entrants is the main problem new companies can reduce industry profits and specific market share for the existing products. In the case of PEPT market, the number of companies and their side are the first indicators of the intensity of competition. This competition is further heightened by the presence of substitute products. Solutions and RecommendationIn order to minimiz e weakness and threats, S&W has to update its product lines and introduce new brand for consumer products. It will help to avoid confusion and create a unique image of its products. Restructuring and organizational change is another step to improve market and operations performance. Only in this case, S&W will be able to deal simultaneously with conglomerate day-to-day crises. New technologies and methods of manufacturing will help S&W respond to market

To question to what extent did the dissolution of Parliament in 1629 Essay

To question to what extent did the dissolution of Parliament in 1629 sow the seeds for the English Civil War - Essay ExampleMoreover, England proceeded towards democracy and adopted it as its governments policy. The process of democratisation naturally conflicted with the King and his power over the nation. Furthermore, the adoption of democracy and freedom rendered Parliament more powerful, and this in warp challenged the royal rule. These are the most frequently stated reasons for the outbreak of the Civil War (Civil War, English, 2008).Nevertheless, the revisionist historians contended that the Civil War transpired due to the events of November 1641. By that time, Charles had prepared to fulfil the aspirations of his subjects and he had revoked the ship money taxes in 1640. He had also promised to reinstate Parliament in 1641. Moreover, Charles agreed to abstain from levying further taxes without the approval of Parliament, and to dissolve the Star Chamber. At that juncture, Will iam Laud was incarcerated in December 1640 and Charless close deputy Strafford was executed on the 12th of May 1641. Meanwhile in October 1641, the Catholic Great mutiny took place in Ireland. It challenged the supremacy of the King and opposed royal rule in Ireland. In order to suppress that movement, the King required an army and early(a) resources. However, the leaders in Parliament refused to ratify his request, as they feared that the King would use these resources against Parliament. This was tantamount to a direct and abrupt attack on Royal power, and in retaliation, Charles imprisoned five MPs, who were the prime instigators in the Parliament behind that strategy against the Crown (Civil War, English, 2008).Charles was the second surviving son of King James and the duchess of Denmark, Anne. He impressed many people and was bestowed with good manners, patience, good temperament, and courteous behaviour. These qualities made him much closer to those who met him. Although, hi s deeds

Sports Development and Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sports Development and Governance - Essay ExampleThis paper analyses practices as well as challenges facing development as well as governance of sports in Russia. The Russian complete governmental leadership, educational, scientific, as well as medical assistance that is aimed at maximization of mass fitness as well as best performance in sport is guided by the organizational as well as the philosophical ideologies that were inherited from the former Soviet partnership as well as the Tsarist Empire by the present day Russia.Governance refers to the manner in which bodies that govern get controlled as well as directed. The mechanism of governance, for instance organizational structure, formal documents, rig the manner in which power, rights, responsibility and authority are distributed amongst participants with an aim of monitoring performance as well as achieving goals. Good governance encompass some(prenominal) characterizes which include participatory, equitable and inclusive, r esponsive, and consensus orientation (Thomas, et al., 2008, P.12).A clear pleader that aligns with the mission and vision for the organization. Russia did well in sports before the Soviet Union era. When the Soviet Union and this was due to the fact that at the time, organizations governing sports had a clear direction, which aligned with the vision and mission of the sports industry. Since 1998, soviet sport authorities directs a mass internal spartakiards, which encompass more than the Olympic Games sports types. This has been improved on and on up to year 12011. The youth spartakiad of 2011 had 4 competition levels individual educational institutions, regional an municipal levels, then culminating at national levels. Preparations for Olympics begins 5 years earlier preparation plans for athletes integrate training programmes, training calendars and medal objective. These plans of things show a clear direction

Health Related Website Eval Form and Nursing Article from Bay College Assignment

Health Related Website Eval Form and Nursing Article from Bay College Library - Assignment ExampleIt provides an opportunity for students to incorporate out issues in the periodic stalks for a week. The article is reliable as it provides reliable and verifiable information. Students do not have to pay any capital for accessing information. The article provides quality information that is available for students from home and in campus (Bay College Library Resource for Nursing, 2012).People can understand evidence based practice by establishing the meaning of this approach and understanding its benefits. Geriatric article explains how evidence based practice can connect gaps between, theory and practice. It is quite unfortunate, as many nurses do not have the skills of incorporating evidenced based nursing in clinical practice. This article explains patient centered approach as an approach expendd in evidence based nursing as a strategy for improving patience care (Rubin, 2011). The article illustrates that the nursing profession, as a practice should tense to improve patients care (Barker, 2009). Evidence based practice is not only based on research since it includes all forms of research. It is a research practice where nurses use current information to make clinical

Bad School System Essay Example for Free

Bad School System EssayWhat are schools doing for us? If nothing then what can we do to alter them?I think they arent doing anything. I have never really thought or so this idea until I started research. I think that I am fairly smart, but it is to a greater extent of after school rather than school itself. I was watching a TED TALK from Ken Robinson and he was talking about how schools kill creativity. He dialog about how schools are good at making people who do their jobs successfully. He also says that those same people are doing that job because they dont have any other choice. By showing this he is trying to show that school kills creativity. Salman Khan the founder of Khan Academy negotiation about how students dont get to work on their own pace. Dave Eggers the founder of 826 Valencia negotiation about how students need 1-1 attention to attain their talents.Ken Robinson has many contrasting videos on school all talking about how school has hassles that need to be s olved. The one that I watched was Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity. He talks about how school trains you in a way that creates a fear of making mistakes. He says, If youre not prepared to be wrong, then you allow for never be original. We are being educated out of creativity. Teachers are not ready to have things be wrong. When grading test or any kind of work there is no such thing as maybe, it is nevertheless right or wrong. There are al slipway those kids who are over the top smart and there are those kids that are very fictive but not as smart. In this scenario you know that the kid who has the brains is leaving to get the popularity. Nobody is going to go to the creative kid for help even though he/she might have something worth saying. Then those creative kids will also have to adapt to the school strategy and eventually lose their creativity.Salman Khan has one very important video on TED and it talks about how students do really get to learn on their own pace i n school. The TED TALK is called Lets use video to create education. In this video he talks about his website www.Khanacademy.com. In this website he has different topics for which he has videos for. He also has sort of an online learning system on the same website. In that learning system they want you to master different concepts that you are having trouble with. So they show you videos on how to do the problem then set you on your own. If you up to now dont have perfection then they allow you to repeat. They want you to master the concept by permit you do the whole process as many cadences as you like. By this you are allowed to learn at your own pace. In school you learn a chapter take a test then move on.Even if you didnt understand you move on, also the students who get like 90 to 99.9% they still might have some problems that they didnt understand. I also experienced Khan Academy, I have an account and I am always using it when I need help on something. Dave Eggers has o ne video on TED and it talks about why students are happier to go to tutoring rather than school itself. In his TED TALK Once Upon a School he shows the audience of a place that he created called 826 Valencia. This is a shop that he founded in which he machine-accessible a newspaper editor center, a pirate shop, and a after school tutoring center. He says that students come there running after school to do homework.Thats not really something that you think of. The students get help on any HW especially their English homework. He has his Newspaper crew and volunteers help students 1-1 on HW. He has students write books and then publishes the books. He says that students need 1-1 time with whomever they are working with. In school students dont really get 1-1 time during school to talk about things that they are having trouble with and stuff like that. In a year he has over 1,400 volunteers helping run 826 Valencia.He thinks that if students are able to have 1-1 time with teachers on their work then they would be more creative. They students would never know if they were doing well or if they needed to improve in certain areas. If you havent watched this TED TALK them I recommend every one the watch it. All three of these guys show great ways to improve the School system. These guys are already doing it outside of school, which shows that our School System isnt really great. There are many problems with our School System we just never think about them as students. You would never think that School would kill your creativity, but when you think about it

Civil Rights Movement Essay Example for Free

Civil Rights Movement EssayGandhi was an Indian civil rights leader. Throughout life he was misunderstood, defied in death and was taken to the position of error. Gandhi took down the British Empire, he improved the g overnments of the three nations, and he imbued the spirits of a global ne dickensrk of neo-Gandhians, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If anyone could be expound as the most adequate civil rights representment leader of the 20th century, it would be Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 and died January 30, 1948. Mohandas Gandhi was the last child of his father and his fathers fourth wife. In his youth years Gandhi was shy, he always spoke in a soft or gentle voice, and wasnt a neither good nor bad student in school. Although he was an obedient child, one time Gandhi tried eating meat, smoking, and stole a little, which he later regretted.When Gandhi was 13, he married a girl named Kasturba in an arranged marriage. Kasturba and Gandhi had four sons and she prolonged Gandhis endeavors until her death in 1944. When Gandhi was 23 years old he set-off for sec Africa at once again, he arrived in British governed Natal in May 1893. Though Gandhi was hoping to earn a little bit of money and gain more knowledge rough law, it was in South Africa that Gandhi changed from being a very quiet and shy man to a dedicated leader against discrimination. The beginning of this change happened plot he was on a business mooring that was taken a little while after he arrived in South Africa. Gandhi was in South Africa for about a week when he was asked to take the long trip from Natal to Transvaal, the province of South Africa for his case.It was supposed to be a several twenty-four hour period trip, including transportation by train and by stagecoach. When Gandhi went on the first train of his journey at the Pietermartizburg station, railroad officials told Gandhi that he needed to move to the third-class passenger car. When Gan dhi refused to move because he was holding first-class passenger tickets, a policeman came and threw him off the train. That wasnt the end of the unfair treatment that Gandhi suffered on this trip. Gandhi wen and talked to the other Indians in South Africa. He found out that his experiences with the policemen were not rare mistakes, but instead these types of problems were common. During that first night of his trip, he sat in the cold outdoor(a) of the railroad station after being thrown off the train, Gandhi debated whether he should go back home to India or fight the discrimination for all people. later thinking it through, Gandhi decided that he could not let the discrimination continue and that he was going to fight so that he could change the discrimination in South Africa forever. Gandhi spent the next twenty years working on improving Indians rights in South Africa. During the first three years, Gandhi learned more about Indian complaints that were made, studied the law, wr ote letters to officials, and organized petitions. On May 22, 1894, Gandhi created the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). The NIC started as an organization for rich Indians, Gandhi worked hard and long to throw a fit its membership to all classes and people who were in a high position. Gandhi became known for his activism. His acts were covered by newspapers in England and India. In a few short years, Gandhi had contract a leader of the Indian community in South Africa. In 1896, after living three years in South Africa, Gandhi took a trip to India with the intention of bringing his wife and two sons back with him.In India, there was a deadly plague outbreak. Since back then they believed that poor health and hygienics were the cause of the plagues, Gandhi offered to help search for toilets, especially ones on a military base and offer suggestions for better supplies. Others were willing to search the toilets of the wealthy Gandhi personally searched the toilets of the untouchables as w ell as the rich. He found that it was the wealthy that had the worst hygiene and health problems. After spending twenty years in South Africa luck fight discrimination, Gandhi finally decided it was time to head back home to India on July 1914. When World War I broke out during his journey, Gandhi decided to amaze and help by forming another ambulance corps of Indians to help the British. As World War I reached its finale, it was time for Gandhi to focus on the fight for Indian politics. In 1919, the British gave Gandhi something worth fighting for the Rowlett Act.This Act gave the British in India nearly no restrictions to root out revolutionary elements and to restrain them for sure without trial. In supplement to this Act, Gandhi organized a huge protest, which began on March 30, 1919. Even though Gandhi called off the protest, once he heard about the violence, over 300 Indians had died and over 1,100 were injured from British war in the city of Amritsar. The violence that fo rmed from the protest showed Gandhi that the people didnt fully believe in the power of Satyagraha. On March 1922, Gandhi was jailed for rebellion and was sentenced to six years in prison. After two years, Gandhi was released due to illness and needed surgery to treat his appendicitis. Upon his release, Gandhi found his orbit mixed up in violent attacks between Muslims and Hindus. As self-punishment for the violence, Gandhi began a 21-day fast, known as the Great Fast of 1924. Still ill from his recent surgery, numerous people thought he would die on day twelve, but he pulled through.The fast created a temporary peace treaty. Also during this decade, Gandhi began giving support as a way to gain freedom from the British. Unfortunately, not everyone was too happy with this peace plan. There were a few basic Hindu groups who believed that India should never have been divided. They blamed Gandhi for the separation. On January 30, 1948, the 78year old Gandhi spent his last day like all the other days. The majority of the day was spent debating problems with numerous groups and individuals.A few minutes past 5 p.m., when it was time for the prayer meeting, Gandhi started the walk to Birla House. A crowd had surrounded him while he walked he was helped by two of his grandnieces. In front of him, a young Hindu boy named Nathuram Godse stopped before to greet him by bowing. Gandhi bowed back. Then Godse rushed forward with a gun and shot Gandhi three times with a black, semi-automatic pistol. Although Gandhi had survived five other assassination attempts, this time, Gandhi fell to the ground, dead.

Japanese animation and how its been influenced by American culture in the 20th century

lacquerese animation and how its been influenced by the Statesn flori farming in the 20th century realityIn this essay I shall investigate to what extent twentieth century American glossiness has influenced japanese animation. I shall examine the hi narrative of japanese germinate, paid close attention to the rise of animation as an single-handed art play de experimental conditionine what facets of American culture take a crap appeared and influenced Nipponese animation, including language, pop culture and consumerism present two case studies of Japanese sprightly productions that adhere to the American influence and draw lasts from my findings.For my research I shall be referencing literature on Japanese animation, American culture and fritter history. The case studies shall consist of guides by Osamu Tezuka and Mamoru Oshii.History of Japanese AnimationThe Japanese film industry was born out of the fascination with Edisons Kinetoscope. The Kinetoscope had been first sh consume in New York in 1894, and two geezerhood after-hoursr the Japanese imported several to their cities. This was a close of celebration and newfangledty as the Sino-Japanese war had been win in 1895 with Japan forcing the Chinese invasion out of Korea proving that Japan could adjust to the modern civilization sic which less than fifty years to begin with had arrived knocking at the closed gates of the country in the person of Commodore Perry. It was the reign of Emperor Meiji, spanning 44 years from 1868 to 1912, which welcomed an era of rapid commercial expansion. In 1897, the Lumire brothers Cinmatographe arrived with a mixed bill of films including Baignade en Mer and LArrive dun Train en Gare. This was followed by the Edison Vitascope and its films The Death of Mary Queen of Scots and aliment Pigeons. These innovative projectors were extremely customary with the Japanese, including the future Emperor Taisho. The public were arriving in their thousands to watch th ese films and continued to do so for another twenty years. Throughout this degree the Japanese were importing films from Europe and the get together States.It was only in 1912 that Japan founded its first production comp each Nikkatsu Motion Picture Company. Established as an independent company on a lower floor the title Japan Cinematograph Company, Nikkatsu started mass distribution and production of films in the 1920s. This stringentt that Japan was quiet down dependant on films produced in the double-u to express in its cinemas in the 1910s. During the First World War (1914-1918) European films were unavailable and to fill the void Japan began to heavily import films from Hollywood. One particular film that was to change the way the Japanese read film narrative was D.W. Griffiths 1916 feature, Intolerance. Perhaps the director nost influenced by Griffith in this early intent of Japanese film was Norimasa Kaeriyama. Kaeriyama introduced modern film technique into Japan a nd helped establish the Film Record, the countrys first motion picture magazine. His films were heavily inspired by the Hollywood narrative structure and were devote to the introduction of long-, medium-, and close-shots, together with editing principles the conversion to realistic acting and the use of actresses in womens roles instead of oyama (oyama impersonators were previously use instead of actresses for female roles).After the finish of Emperor Taisho in 1926 Japans new Emperor, Showa (Hirohito), began to reject the liberal attitudes towards Western influence of his predecessor. There was to a greater extent violence on creating greater armies and a more the right way navy than building diplomatic relations. Before the Great Depression rocked the United States and Europe, Japan had already suffered this was accelerated by the population boom crossways the country. Japan directly put emphasis into its manu occurrenceuring and exportation of goods. Japans foreign policy h ad become one of aggressive expansion they had seized confine of the railways in Shandong, China, but were forced to quarter after China boycotted Japanese exports. There was unrest in the country as labour unions were growing and dissatisfaction bred. Strikes and boycotts were rife, and this was reflected in the films of the time. Period drama films afforded the public the opulence of escapism while, on the other end of the scale, left-wing tendency films that sought to encourage, or fight against, a given social tendency played to the nation. This period of filmmaking in Japan proved that the industry had grown up from its humble origins and was establishing its own themes.The influx of the talkies from Hollywood finally pushed Japanese filmmakers to produce their own earphone filmes. In the early 1930s sound became the norm for Japanese productions and therefore pushed the boundaries of the industry allowing directors such as Teinosuke Kinugasa to create lavish dramas that were adored by the public. utterly the door was open for filmmakers to adapt historic tales dramatically. These dramas were singled out by the Emperor who saw them as an most-valuable tool to boost the nations morale, showing the masses how important history was and how important it was to actually make their own history. The second Sino-Japanese war was not unexpected. The film industry had to develop the skills to produce the war genre. The first Japanese war movie was Tomotaka Tasakas 1938 feature, Five Scouts (Gonin no Sekkohei). It is interesting to broadsheet that this film does not include the pride, nationalism or propaganda that was being released in the United States, Britain or Germany. The story dealt with the lives of five soldiers caught up in a battle that they k at one time they must fight. This narrative development of type over plot is still used in modern cinema, most recently in Sam Mendes Jarhead (2005).After the destruction of the Second World War, Japan wa s forced to rebuild as a nation. The Emperor saw the need to keep the cinemas open (at least those that still remained). Production continued, some unfinished films were abandoned due to their military narrative, and projects that had been discarded in the beginning the outbreak of war were completed. The occupying Allied interim government announced a list of prohibited subjects, these included militarism, revenge, nationalism, religious or racial discrimination, feudal loyalty, suicide, cruelty, exploitation of children and opposition to the occupation. Editorial power had been interpreted away from the filmmakers and left with a foreign military presence. Out of this period two important directors were to emerge Kurosawa and Kinoshita.In 1950, Akira Kurosawas Rashomon was released. The film introduced new ideas to Japanese, and world, cinema. It was the first film to use flashbacks that disagreed with the action they were flashing back to. It supplied first-person eyewitness acc ounts that differed radically one of which came from beyond the grave. The final scene saw no Hollywood resolution with three self-confessed killers and no explanation. His later films included Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) (1954), The Hidden Fortress (Kakushi-toride no san-akunin) (1958) and Yojimbo (1961). Keisuke Kinoshita directed Japans first discolour film in 1951 with Carmen Comes Home (Karumen kokyo ni kaeru). Kinoshitas work is much lighter than that of Kurosawa and his influences seem to come from French comedies most notably in the two Carmen movies featuring the stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold Carmen. some(prenominal) these and other films explore the need for a character to leave the country berth and head to the new cities. This was echoed in Japans successful attempts to join the United Nations in 1956.In 1958 the first cartoon feature from Japan was released from the Toei studios. bear cat and the Magic Serpent (Hakuja den) was directed by Kazuhiko Okabe and T aiji Yabushita and tells of two lovers in ancient China who must battle fell to find happiness. The film combines bizarre supernatural sequences, psychedelic montages and instantly likeable songs. even though it can be argued that this is the Japanese interpretation of Disneys 1940 classic Fantasia, Panda and the Magic Serpent heralds the beginning of the Japanese animation industry ( gum gum gum anime).Anime is the term used to describe Japanese animation. Since the 1950s Japan has been at the head of not only producing animation but is a world-leader in comic book art, or Manga. It is best described by Gilles Poitras Anime (pronounced ah-nee-may), as specify by common non-Japanese fan usage, is any animation made in Japan. In Japan, the word but means animation. While anime is sometimes erroneously referred to as a genre, it is in reality an art form that includes all the genres found in cinema or literature, from heroic epics and romances to science fiction and comedy. Wh ereas anime is what people would refer to as cartoons, Manga is the illustrated storyboards that the reader animates in his or her head. The fact that Manga is read by a whole cross-section of society is notable because it is simply too fascinating, colorful sic, and rich a literary medium to be left solely to children.The 1960s saw a host of anime films released. In The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka in 1960, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic, The Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng-En in the 16th century. This technique of updating early stories was a popular theme in anime and is still used nowadays. However, it was not only the cinema that was releasing anime productions. Japanese television aired decently Atom (Tetsuwan Atomu) from 1963 to 1966. Mighty Atom was the creation of Dr Osamu Tezuka, an influential figure in the early development of Manga. It was the first animated series produced by Tezukas television and film production company, Mushi Studios. The initial episode was shown as a television special on New Years Eve (one of the most widely viewed evenings on Japanese television) and became an instant success. When the series was shown in the United States the characters name was changed to Astroboy due to DC Comics already owning a character called The Mighty Atom. The series proved to be extremely popular with children, and sparked controversy amongst parents who, even though the translation was greatly s very muched and sometimes edited for juvenile audiences, complained that the a good deal dark subject matter was not suitable for impressionable young minds. Some episodes exhibited increasingly dreamlike and surreal imagery. This argument still persists today with the weigh on whether graphic violence in cartoons (or anime) can prove detrimental to a young audience.The 1970s was a time of consolidation for the animation studios. The planetary po pularity of anime had afforded hundreds of studios to be set up to produce a plethora of films and television series. The moon landing in 1969 fired the imagination of the world with more emphasis on science fiction and that is what the audience wanted. Fans of anime, or otaku, from around the world demanded new productions from these studios, and in turn the studios delivered new and advanced films. Otaku derives from the Chinese character for house and the honorific prefix o-. This translates as your honourable house. It is an extremely polite way of saying you when addressing another person in conversation the writer Akio Nakamori proposed that the term be applied to the fans themselves. Another interpretation, as used by the Japanese media, is that of extreme fixation, which is probably closer to the truth. Either way it is the fans of anime that adopt been the campaign force behind its success.In 1971 an animator directed 24 episodes of an anime series called Lupin III (Rupan sansei). It was the start of a very important occupational group for perhaps the most important animator to come out of Japan. This man was Hayao Miyazaki. The series ran from 1971 to 1972 and was so successful that a number of sequels were made as salutary as theatrical releases. Lupin III describes the life of gang members in 1970s society. The action targeted the adult audience with its violence, sex, dark humour and contemporary soundtrack. eight years later Miyazaki went on to direct The Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan sansei Kariosutoro no shiro). The film is a continuation of the Lupin franchise that started with the television series in 1971. The emphasis is on the characters rather than the plot a trait that Miyazaki develops over the course of his career. Even though the film is far from being one of the best examples of anime from the 1970s, the pace, comedy and willingness to show anti-heroes captures the feeling of the decade. Another example of an anime series that beca me global was Gatchaman Science Ninjas (Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman). This series originally ran from 1972 to 1974 in Japan before being renamed Battle of the Planets when it aired in the United States in 1978. Yet again the re-dubbed, re-edited version was toned down for the Western audience, so much so that the series was moved from Earth to outer space sequences with a robot (7-Zark-7) were added to patch the safer storylines together, make up for the lost (edited) footage and jump on the Star Wars R2-D2 bandwagon exploding planes and ships were ever so robot-controlled and Spectra forces constantly ejected. The original Gatchaman series introduced characters that had feelings and motivation there was character development and ongoing sub-plots. They sought revenge, felt jealousy and fear, had relationships, and got hurt. The villains were unabashedly evil, not misguided. The heroes didnt always win, at least not completely.It was as if the West was still not ready to embrace ani me and Manga as an art form that was acceptable for adults to enjoy. Anime was still widely seen as cartoons for children in the 1970s.The Japanese animation industry went from strength to strength in the 1980s. It was the decade that saw the Western world finally bow to the power of anime. This was a two-pronged attack a Manga pincer movement. For those that still believed animation was for children there was the extraordinary global phenomenon that was Transformers, and for those that were looking for an alternative cult classic there was Akira. In 1984, American toy manufacturer Hasbro bought the rights to produce transforming robots from Japanese company Takara. To bolster the sales of their new line Hasbro decided to use anime as the frontline attack on the target audience (children). The result was the extremely successful Transformer series. This series led to the production of the 1986 feature film, Transformers The Movie. This was the first real evidence of American cultur e, in its consumer form, influencing Japanese animation. In stark contrast of the animation-as-advert, Katsuhiro tomo directed the 1988 classic Akira. The film was soon to become a bench scratch for anime in Japan, and across the world. This was a film that was aimed at adults with dark, subversive themes. The futuristic positions of Neo-Tokyo were apocalyptic and tinged with doom. After Akira it was widely accepted that anime was not just for children.The 1990s saw anime reach mass appeal as the release of such films as Patlabor (Kid keisatsu patoreb) (1990), Patlabor II (Kid keisatsu patoreb 2) (1993) and weirdie in the Shell (Kkaku kidtai) (1995) by Mamoru Oshii found an world(prenominal) audience Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumakis 1997 feature End of Evangelion (Shin seiki Evangelion Gekij-ban Air) followed on where the original Japanese television series left off and of course Hayao Miyazakis Crimson Pig (Kurenai no buta) (1992) and Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997). The American influence was still rife as the toy industry, in particular the computer and video game market, provided the plotlines to a number of films and television series including track Fighter II The Movie (1994), Battle Arena Toshinden (1997) and the original series of the next big thing, Pokmon (1998 onwards). In 1999, Michael Haigney and Kunihiko Yuyama directed the feature length version of the popular Pokmon series Pokmon The First Movie. Whereas the 1980s saw Transformers flood the childrens market, the beginning of the new millennium saw the Japanese revenge. Pokmon originally began as a video game, on the Nintendo Gameboy The Pokmon game was the platform for the Pokmon brand to kick-start what would become the worlds largest success story in the game-licensing card-collecting business. The video game gave the characters identities, the collection cards gave them powers, the movie added life to the brand, and word-of-mouth lot the news. The Pokmon invasion is still p ellucid nearly ten years later as the television series is still in production, with two feature film sequels having followed the original cinematic release. The consumerism powers of America had truly influenced anime.American Cultural InvasionThe cultural invasion from the West began in earnest at the turn of the twentieth century. Japans industrial revolution had been slow to start but quickly gathered momentum. By 1890 there were two hundred large steam factories where twenty years earlier there had been none steamship tonnage increased from 15,000 to over 1,500,000 tons in the period between 1893 and 1905 and by 1896 things Western were in expert fashion derbies or straw boaters were worn with formal kimono, the big gold pocket-watch was tucked into the obi, and spectacles, whether needed or not, were esteemed as a sign of learning. Ironically, the period when Japan found itself bowing down to the pressure of American influence was directly after fighting a war against it. Whe n the atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki it was not just the radiation that remained in Japan. Any country that has been invaded will always have traces of the invaders culture embedded into the normal life of its habitants. The Allied (most notably the American) control of Japan directly after the war was to allow Western influences to develop into the Japanese way of life. This influence was both highly visual as advantageously as subliminal. America saw the clandestine operations there were not only as part of an effort to defeat Japan but overly as the opening wedge for post-war Southeast Asia. The Japanese were suspicious of the Western approach to education and the governing of their homeland. The Occupation, they thought, had destroyed traditional Japanese virtues and unleashed a pluck of selfishness and egotism. In an interview with the elderly president of a real estate company in Oita City, author Jeffrey Broadbent discovered the feelings of the former ow bers of the land Due to American influence, the heart of our people has been lost our way of thinking that, if its good for the progress of the whole, its good to sacrifice yourself The Japanese strength from group unity has been lost. The other side of the coin is the very noticeable, consumer-led American cultural assault on Japan.The way in which American culture has seeped into the Japanese way of life is what Koichi Iwabuchi writes as strategies that integrate the view dot of the dominated, who long ago learned to negotiate Western culture in their consumption of media products imported fro the West. Depending on the viewpoint of the individual, culture and life in Japan, and especially that in the densely populated areas, are influenced by the same commercial culture that defines the American way of life today. Japanese streets are now littered with the flashing neon signs that are found (admittedly all over the world) adorning the pavements of any American town or city. Wes tern branding has left its mark on Japan. The American phenomenon of the fast-food culture such as McDonalds, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Baskin-Robbins, and other outlets dominate the Japanese urbanscape more than in America. As a matter of fact the first Disneyland outside the United States was built in Japan. Even when taking into consideration the immense popularity of Japanese culture (for example, the growth of Yo Sushi restaurants in the UK) and the Wests embracing of east philosophies (in this case Shinto and Buddhism), it is safe to say that Japanese culture has been more extensively shaped by its American counterpart than vice versa. If it is indeed true(p) that Japans exports of products and manufactured goods far outweighs its imports, then it is also true that Japan imports vastly more information about or from the United States than the other way round.Japan is today regarded as one of the leading powers in the world especially in the represen tation of its national media the Japanese population of more than 120 trillion people and its economic wealth make the Japanese audiovisual market, along with that of the United States, one of the only two self-sufficient markets in the world. However, this does not mean that foreign popular culture is no longer consumed in Japan American popular culture has continued to strongly influence and saturate Japan. Japan is one of the biggest buyers of Hollywood movie and many Japanese television formats and concepts are also deeply influenced by and borrowed from American programmes yet the format is quite often changed to make it more suitable to a Japanese audience What was marked as foreign and exotic yesterday can become familiar today and traditionally Japanese tomorrow. Kosaku Yoshino writes that although Japan has developed a relative maturity of its cultural industries, it still hasnt found itself fully expanding on the exportation of its television computer programming and fil ms to other regions of the world. This unexportability of Japanese media can be explained by the term cultural discount A particular programme rooted in one culture and thus attractive in that environment will have a diminished appeal elsewhere as viewers find it difficult to recognise with the style, values, beliefs, institutions and behavioural patterns of the material in question. Included in the cultural discount are reductions in appreciation due to dubbing or subtitling. The biggest media products that the Japanese have managed to export, despite cultural discount, is Manga and anime but is this due to American cultural influences shaping the genre into a more Western-friendly medium? chemise Study 1 Alakazam the Great (Saiyu-ki)The first example of a Japanese animation that has been influenced by American culture is the 1960 feature, The Enchanted Monkey (Saiyu-ki), directed by Daisaku Shirakawa, Taiji Yabushita and Osamu Tezuka for Toei Studios. It was released in America as Alakazam the Great in an attempt to win a bigger audience by moving away from the emphasis of the ancient Eastern tale, the story is a retelling of part of the epic Chinese classic The Journey to the West (Xiyouji), written by Wu Cheng-En in the sixteenth century. The title name-change and the subsequent character name-changes point to the influence that America held over Japanese culture at the time. The original story chronicles the many encounters of Sanzo, a monk who travels from China to India to obtain a sham of the original Buddhist scriptures to bring back to his country and teach the purity of Siddhartas original messages. In Osamu Tezukas film the star of the show is not Sanzo but parole Goku, the monkey king. Son Guko is a talented but arrogant warrior that is sent on a journey by Buddha to learn the virtues of humility and compassion. However, when re-dubbed and released in the United States the characters changed.Sanzo became Prince Amat and turns out to be the son of Buddha. Buddha in turn is named King Amo, Sir Quigley (Pigze), Lulipopo (Sandy), and Son Goku is renamed the titular Alakazam.Considering the fact that the storyline was centuries old there is more than a way out resemblance between the character of Alakazam (Son Guko) and the way in which Japan was seen by the rest of the world. In the tale the protagonist is king of his surroundings (Japan in the late 1930s and early 1940s) before he discovers the existence of a people that are more powerful than him. In an attempt to beat them he sneaks into their world and begins a pre-emptive strike against them (Pearl Harbour attack). He is then disciplined by a greater being (America) before being allowed to continue his journey under the agreement that he learns from his mistakes (the Occupation and the subsequent acceptance into the United Nations). I believe the fact that Tezuka decided to use the story to create this, the third Japanese feature length animation, demonstrates an under standing of the ever present American dominance over Japan.The aesthetics of the production borrow from the American animations of the time. In the post-war period it was evident that the biggest influence on the explosion of Manga style artwork came from the imports of European and American comic books and animation. The most famous being the work from the studios of Walt Disney. Osamu Tezuka was originally a Manga operative before he became involved with anime. His style and technique was heavily influenced by Disney (he admitted to watching Bambi 80 times and Snow White 50 times). The studio that he worked for, Toei, strived for that same cross-cultural, cross-generational appeal of Disney, albeit using more Asian scenarios. Considering that he had studied Disneys Bambi to the point of obsession it is not surprising to learn that Tezuka noted how Bambis childish attributes, such as his big eyes and large head, were an ideal way of conveying complex emotions. The influence of the West is truly evident in this film, and many that followed it.Case Study 2 Ghost in the Shell (Kkaku kidtai) (1995)The second film I am looking at in detail is Ghost in the Shell (Kkaku kidtai) (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii. It is widely accepted that anime has been inspired by a number of different factors that draws simultaneously on medieval Japanese traditions, on American cyberpunk styles, and on an imagery of ethnic and cultural mixture (of the sort envisioned in Blade Runner) that never quite evokes any specific human society, but that in various ways hints of the American dream of a multicultural society and suggests the extent to which the American science fiction film has become a key narrative type for much of contemporary culture. This cyberpunk culture has been lapped up by the Japanese and features heavily in Manga and anime. Perhaps the most famous writers and contributors to this particular genre are William Gibson, author of the cult Neuromancer and Philip K. Di ck, author of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the novel that was the basis of the 1982 classic Blade Runner.Both these writers provided a futuristic world that could be further advanced by the medium of animation. The plot of Ghost in the Shell parallels Neuromancer very closely, except that rather than an artificial intelligence seeking to be free by merging with its better half, an artificial life form (the Puppet Master) seeks to free itself by merging with the protagonist (cyborg Major Motoko Kusangi).Developing similar themes to Gibson and Dick, Oshiis interest in mankinds over-reliance on technology is brought to a logical conclusion in Ghost in the Shell, which foregrounds fundamental questions about what it is to be human in an increasingly computerised cyberworld, where a computer programme gains sentience and also questions its own function in the acquisition of power, autonomy and longevity. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and later Blade Runner the plot and characterisation are centred on the struggle to determine what is human and what is machine.It can be argued that Neuromancer borrows from modern Eastern culture as the locale is set in Japan, however, it is the significance of the characters rather than the setting that has cemented it as a science-fiction classic. In Dicks novel, the opening image of the book, comparing nature to technology, sets the tone of this narrative. The protagonist, Case is a combination of man and machine a now common trait amongst Cyberpunk literature and animation.It is this imagery that Oshii has borrowed from the West that has provided the background to his work Blade Runner has been labelled as one of the finest examples of post-noir with its anti-heroes, atmospheric inflammation and dark storylines, and Oshii replicates this in his film. He uses sound, and in particular the score written by Kenji Kawais to achieve an emotional response from the viewer that is a million miles from any Disney cartoo n. He presents Ghost in the Shell with the feeling of a bona fide film noir that just happens to be an anime production.As such Oshii has admittedly borrowed American ideas, themes and culture but he has formed his own creative style out of it. He uses the medium not only to entertain but to put in the lead questions of morality to an audience that are not treated like children Oshii develops the form by refusing innocence and indifference, insisting upon only the maturity of the medium. Indeed, while in an accessible, Jewish-Orthodox model, it only advances the case further that all animation is in some sense experimental, even within populist forms.ConclusionFrom my research I have drawn the conclusion that Japanese animation has indeed been influenced by twentieth century American culture. This has happened side by side with the country as a whole accepting elements of Western popular culture. As early as the beginning of the century under the leadership of Emperor Meiji Japan began to embrace the West after years of being an insular island race. It was immediately after the end of the Second World War, when Japan was occupied by the Americans under General MacArthur from 1945 to 1951, that the floodgates opened. American control influenced education, culture and general living. Whereas the older generation saw this as Japan losing its heart the younger generation thought of it as a impudently start. This is evident in Japans rise to power in the 1960s onwards. The Feudal system of Japan that had reigned until 1868 had been disregarded the way of the samurai had been supplanted by the power of the microchip. The nation had taken on board American culture and adjusted it for their own purpose. This ability to progress with outside influences paved the way for animators such as Kazuhiko Okabe, Taiji Yabushita, Osamu Tezuka, Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro tomo and Mamoru Oshii.It is worthy of note that it has not completely been one-way traffic. The Japanese ani mators have been influenced by American culture (Disney, comic books, Cyberpunk, etc.) but in turn the Americans, and the West, have imported attributes specifically found in Manga and anime. The creative team behind The Matrix trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, are Japanese anime fans and were the driving force behind the 2003 animated film The Animatrix. denote agencies in the United States have also picked up on the popularity of anime with the Coca Cola group producing the Obey Your Thirst Voltron campaign, combining anime and tap to sell Sprite.Sales of Manga comics and picture novels in North America grew over 40 per cent to $140 million in 2004.This trend was also boosted when director Hayao Miyazaki won the Oscar for Best A