Manga, anime led to interest in Japanese: Diplomat

BENGALURU: The global popularity of manga and anime have contributed to the increased interest in the Japanese language among people in the city, said Akiko Sugita, Consul-General of Japan in Bengaluru.

We have witnessed an increase in interest in the Japanese language, in the period leading up to 2019. The number of examinees who took the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) has doubled,” she said during the concluding ceremony of Japan Habba on Sunday. There has also been an increase in participation in cultural events hosted by the Consulate General of Japan in Bengaluru, she added. 

Sugita attributed the global interest in studying the Japanese language to interest in manga and anime.
Economic relations between Japan and Karnataka have flourished. Japanese companies have continued to expand from having 155 sites in 2010 to 534 sites in 2019, she added.“Japan Industrial township has been established in Tumakuru district. To further acceleration of Japanese companies in Karnataka, the state government and Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry formulated a framework of discussion to resolve issues pertaining to investment from Japan,” she added.

She hoped that the direct flight between Bengaluru and Tokyo, operational in March, would lead to a greater influx of personnel exchange, promotion of Indo-Japan cooperation and tourism expansion. 
Sugita said that despite the pandemic, people-to-people exchange between Japan and people in Karnataka had continued.