Ask John: How Popular is Lord of the Rings in Japan?

Question:
I was wondering how popular are the Lord of the Rings movies in Japan? Do Japanese fans think that Lord of the Rings is a copy of a lot of the fantasy anime?

Answer:
Especially natives of the United States, largely isolated to contact with their own culture and only their own national boundaries, have a tendency to be very occidental and ethnocentric. Due to our lack of experience and awareness of the rest of the world, it’s easy for Americans to apply their own predispositions and cultural theories to foreign countries without even realizing that they’re doing so. The average American may be aware that Japan is a relatively racially homogeneous country, and may be familiar with second hand stories of Japanese isolationism, pride in national identity, and resistance to foreign concepts or imports. While it’s true that Japan is an uncharacteristically racially harmonious country, I think that Western stereotypes of Japan assume that the country is far more intolerant and narrow minded that it actually is. I think that the typical American perception of Japan is a country full of business suit wearing, stoic traditionalists quick to take offense over the slightest impropriety or usurpation of native Japanese culture and tradition. There may be some small degree of truth in the stereotype, but I personally don’t believe that Japan is nearly as rigid as many Americans believe.

According to World & I and further confirmed by Info Please, Japan’s national literacy rate is higher than that of the United States. Japan is world famous as a country of voracious readers, so presuming that as a nation Japan is very smart, it’s reasonable to assume that Japanese society is also quite logical and reasonable. More thorough inspection reveals that perhaps more than any other country in the world, Japan is fascinated by fantasy fiction. From businessmen that read manga on the train ride to work to the perennial popularity of Godzilla and sentai TV shows like Kamen Rider to the creation and popularity of anime, Japan is a country that nationally relishes fictive flights of fantasy and science fiction. A previous “Ask John” article has already addressed the popularity of the Matrix trilogy in Japan. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is at least as equally successful in Japan.

Rather than feel outrage at Western “theft” of anime and manga conventions in The Matrix, or interpret usurpation of themes by Western produced fantasy films, comics and novels, Japan eagerly embraces Western fantasy and science fiction. In fact, it can be said that certain types of Western fantasy such a graphic and vintage American and European horror films are actually more popular in Japan than they are in America. I think it’s at least as well known in Japan as in America, if not more so, that J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic novels are older than anime and have doubtlessly influenced the development of anime. Based on American perceptions of Japan, Americans presuppose that Japanese natives will be shocked and outraged to see traditional elements of anime appear in American action films. Or Americans believe that the Japanese will be confused or put off by Western fantasy films like Lord of the Rings. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. Japanese society is intelligent enough, and rational enough to simply appreciate and enjoy speculative fiction regardless of its origins or influences. Sci-fi classics like Star Wars and Alien and Star Trek are immensely popular in Japan. Terminator 3 is one of the highest grossing theatrical releases of 2003 in Japan. And Japanese viewers love the Lord of the Rings at least as much as Americans do.