Ask John: Can A Foreigner Direct Anime?

Question:
Is it possible for a non-Japanese to create an anime film in Japan? I’ve heard some people say that there is a discrimination in this particular area where the non-Japanese have the worst luck.

Can one person take on multiple positions in the animation industry such as being the director and the animation supervisor as well, or maybe the character designer, director and story writer?

Answer:
With rare exceptions, anime is never a one man production. Anyone hoping to produce anime in Japan should expect to work as part of a team or studio. With that out of the way, the chances of a foreigner helming an anime production in Japan are slim, but not totally impossible. For example, French animator Savin Yeatman-Eiffel temporarily moved into the Hal Filmmaker studios to oversee production of the Oban Star Racers animation. And Studio 4C’s upcoming motion picture Tekkon Kinkreet was directed by American animator Michael Arias, who also worked on the Animatrix segments “Beyond” and “Second Renaissance.”

Modern rumors of racial discrimination in Japan have run rampant for decades, and in some respects, they’re partially true. But I’ve never heard of any evidence to suggest that Japan’s animation industry is consciously discriminatory. I don’t think that the anime industry intentionally excludes foreigners. The industry simply works on a tight schedule with tight budgets, so practicality and efficiency are a necessity. Native Japanese employees that integrate efficiently with other employees and the Japanese work system are more efficient and practical to employ than foreigners. Foreign workers seeking employment in the Tokyo based anime industry may also be excluded by the Japanese emigration office, not because of malicious intent, but because there are already too many people in Tokyo, and Japan only has a limited amount of physical space and resources to support residents and visitors.

Anime may not be a one man production, but that doesn’t exclude one person from performing multiple duties. For example, Masami Obari is credited as the creator, director, and co-mechanical designer for Dangaizer-3. Toshihiro Hirano is credited as creator, screenwriter, continuity director (storyboard artist), animation director, and character designer for Fight! Iczer-One. Based on my second-hand knowledge of anime production, it seems as though most high profile animators must always be prepared to wear several hats.