Tokyo Selector Fujitsu Ryota Talks Japanese Animation, Its Past and Future
Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentFujitsu Ryota, programmer of the Tokyo International Film Festival’s anime section, has taken ‘onko-chishin,’ a four-kanji-character term meaning “respect the past, create the new,” as the guideline for this year’s selection.The festival has featured Japanese animation focuses for several years, reflecting anime’s position as a key component of the Japanese film industry. It is in high and growing demand internationally.The “past” is examined in a three-film sidebar dedicated to the life and work of Otsuka Yasuo, an industry pioneer who died in March of this year.