Japanese Government Debates Construction of National Manga Museum

The Japanese parliament is currently debating the expenditure of 11.7 billion yen (US $118 million) on the construction of a national manga & anime museum to be located in Tokyo’s Odaiba district. The museum is expected to attract 600,000 annual visitors and contribute to prime minister Taro Aso’s plan to leverage Japan’s creative “soft power” to stimulate economic growth.

Democratic Party of Japan politician Yukio Hatoyama, who opposes Aso’s Liberal Democratic Party, has publicly criticized the museum development, calling it “a national manga café,” and arguing that, “Such an enormous waste is very foolish.” Hatoyama has publicly implied that the project a personal pet project for Aso, who is an acknowledged manga fan.

Source: Anime News Network