Continued: Why Those Who Make a Living Through Expression Should Study History and Politics

The previous article, “Why Those Who Make a Living Through Expression Should Study History and Politics”, received more of a response than I had imagined.
Within just two weeks of posting, it exceeded 20,000 views, and on X and note, there was a succession of empathetic voices and shares saying things like, “I’ve been looking for an article like this for a long time,” making it one of the most “liked” articles in June.

Above all, because the response was visualized as “numbers,” I feel that the high level of public interest in this topic has been brought to light once again.

……That said, I never expected to be writing a “sequel” so soon.

Someone I respected became a megaphone for exclusionary ideology

The trigger was learning that an animator I respected for their incredible art was supporting an agitator-style exclusionary populist who combines misinformation, racism, and eugenics.

Anime cannot be discussed without the labor force of China and South Korea. Furthermore, there must be many Chinese people who were moved by the anime he was involved in and supported him by buying Blu-rays and merchandise. And yet, to publicly declare support for an exclusionary extremist… (*Note: The post in question has since been deleted.)

It’s painful. What makes it painful is that I myself grew up watching works he participated in as an animator during my adolescence, and I was looking forward to his next work.

In this era of social media dominance, posts and reposts have also become a form of expression.

Expression has the power to amplify messages many times over. If used incorrectly, it can even become a megaphone for discrimination, unconsciously spreading hate. That is precisely why knowledge is required to judge what to communicate and how.

I felt once again the importance of creators studying history.

Expression and Politics: The Future Followed by Tsutaju and Utamaro

I am just an illustrator, but the reason I keep harping on about why you should know history and politics if you make a living through expression is that, in reality, there are quite a few illustrators who know absolutely nothing about history or politics.

For example, during the time when the word “sontaku” (acting on someone’s unspoken wishes) was flying around on TV and the internet due to the Moritomo Gakuen and Kake Gakuen scandals, I happened to attend a drinking party where illustrators gathered. When I said something like “Don’t be so sontaku!” in the flow of conversation, the response I got was, “What is sontaku?”

I was stunned.

They hadn’t been watching the news.

As with ukiyo-e in the Edo period, the work of expression is greatly restricted by the politics of the time. At worst, depending on the authorities, you may become unable to draw what you want to draw.

The Taiga drama “Berabou: Tsutaju Eiga no Yume-banashi” is a good example; right now, Tsutaju and Utamaro are able to create and draw what they like. But once Tanuma Okitsugu falls from power and Matsudaira Sadanobu begins the Kansei Reforms, they will become increasingly unable to publish the books they want to publish or draw the pictures they want to draw. If they try to publish anyway, they could have half their assets confiscated, be thrown in prison, or receive the punishment of 50 days of handcuffs (being shackled for 50 days).

The common people of the Edo period had no right to vote, no means of political participation, and “could not defy the orders of the authorities (the Shogunate).” This is because they lacked sovereignty. The situation like modern Japan where “sovereignty resides with the people” was only realized through the development of the constitutional system since the Meiji era and, in particular, the enforcement of the Constitution of Japan in 1947.

However, the fact that there are politicians in the modern day who make claims that deny that “popular sovereignty” (for example, a political party whose symbol color is orange) is truly a regression of history. This is a very serious problem.

Some people might think this is just a story about the illustrator community, but this applies to everyone who makes a living through expression.

Artists,
actors,
voice actors,
comedians,
manga artists,
writers,
illustrators,
animators,
photographers,
filmmakers,
YouTubers,
lyricists, composers, singers,

The music industry, publishing industry, advertising industry, anime industry,
and various others,

those who want to draw what they want to draw,
those who want to make what they want to make,
those who want to say what they want to say,
those who want to sing what they want to sing,

such people, more than anyone, must know history and be sensitive to politics.

Kabuki actors should remember how their predecessors were treated during the Tenpo Reforms. The playhouses in Edo were restricted to only three—the Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za, and Morita-za—and the rest were ordered to be demolished or relocated. Expressions involving extreme romance, violence, luxury, satire, or those deviating from the principle of rewarding good and punishing evil were strictly regulated, and cases where performance permits were denied increased.

Along with the expulsion of actors, ukiyo-e prints featuring popular actors were also banned. Artists and publishers who sold ukiyo-e by capitalizing on the popularity of Kabuki were also hit hard. Many artists and publishers were arrested and punished, and some were forced to put down their brushes.

Yose (vaudeville theaters) were originally spaces where commoners gathered, located in temple grounds or town areas, but under the Tenpo Reforms, these were deemed to "disturb public morals" and "nurture idlers," and

• censorship of programs

• orders for the relocation or temporary closure of yose

• crackdowns on storytellers

and the like were implemented.

Some might laugh, saying, "Using the Edo period as an example, lol."

Under totalitarianism, expression was turned into a tool of the state.

Then, what about a relatively recent story, just 80 years ago? In wartime Japan under militarism, novels, literature, theater, film, manga, anime, and music were all subject to censorship. Expression was controlled by the state, turned into a tool, and those who did not comply were punished.

"Enemy music is banned," "Anti-war literature is banned," "Film is a tool for national policy propaganda."In this way, freedom of expression was turned into a tool for "boosting war morale."

Those who should have been free creators were forced to draw "for the sake of the country," and refusing to do so was synonymous with being excluded as "unpatriotic."

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

"Ignorance is not neutral." In any era, it is the most convenient "silent consent" for those in power, and as a result, it is an attitude close to complicity.

That is why, now, those who want to express themselves freely should be sensitive to history and politics. Freedom of expression is not something naturally granted, but something that "countless past creators had taken from them, fought for, and won."

When we forget that history, we once again become a "megaphone convenient for someone else." An atmosphere where we feel a sense of correctness in words like "Japan First" or "there is a problem with the side being discriminated against." That could become the entrance to totalitarianism, like in Nazi Germany or pre-war Japan.

The Power of Expression as a Megaphone

I want to convey this to all creators:
Your expression has the power to amplify a message many times over.

If used incorrectly, that power can become a "megaphone" for dangerous ideologies like discrimination and prejudice.
Now that social media is a part of daily life, a post supporting someone who engages in discriminatory behavior, or even a single repost of a discriminatory remark, can unintentionally become an act of spreading hate.

That is precisely why we, as creators, are being challenged.
What are we communicating, and how? We need the "knowledge" and "imagination" to support that judgment.

I believe that knowledge is history.

Many people who make a living through expression are highly sensitive. If they hear extreme or inflammatory remarks, they might inadvertently swallow them whole, get one foot in the door, and turn their own expressive power into a "megaphone." Of course, this is not true of all creators. In fact, I think many are able to feel a sense of discomfort and keep their distance precisely because of their high sensitivity.

However, since there are not a few examples of creators being co-opted in the past, we cannot ignore the risk that high sensitivity makes one prone to "syncing" with the atmosphere of the times. In fact, I feel there is a "certain tendency" among creators who are drawn to such inflammatory discourse.

Why can we say there is a "certain tendency":

• High sensitivity and expressive power are closely related
  Creators (writers, painters, actors, etc.) are able to create works that move people precisely because they are highly sensitive to the emotions of others, the social climate, and their own inner selves.

• That sensitivity can also work toward "resonance"
  There is also a risk that one's heart will be strongly moved by socially strong words, extreme senses of justice, and inflammatory rhetoric. The more empathetic a person is, the more likely they are to be moved by emotion rather than logic in certain situations.

• Such cases exist historically as well
  For example, in Nazi-era Germany, there were cases where some excellent artists and intellectuals cooperated with propaganda. In Japan, too, during the war, many writers and poets participated in boosting war morale.

I will list examples where creators in the past resonated with or participated in inflammatory remarks.

1. Nazi Germany and Artists/Intellectuals

• Under the Nazi regime, some writers, film directors, and musicians cooperated with propaganda.

• Famous example:Film director Leni Riefenstahl

  • Her masterpiece, "Triumph of the Will," is renowned as a Nazi aesthetic propaganda film; while it pushed the limits of artistic expression at the time, it became a tool for glorifying fascism. Although she denied that her work was a tool for the Nazis in her later years, she continued to be held accountable for it.

• Some poets and writers (such as Gottfried Benn) temporarily resonated with Nazism and later regretted it.

2. "Boosting War Morale" under the Empire of Japan

• Literature: Kotaro Takamura, Mokichi Saito, Kan Kikuchi (after the war, notes were left behind suggesting remorse for having participated in boosting war morale), etc.

• Painting: Tsuguharu Foujita, Ryohei Koiso, Ryushi Kawabata, and others; Japanese poets and painters cooperated with the state to create "war praise" and "hymns to the heroic spirits."

• They did not necessarily cooperate out of conviction, but many creators were swallowed by the "atmosphere of the times."

Both historically and psychologically, "high sensitivity" is a weapon for an artist, but it also carries the risk of becoming a medium for incitement. That is precisely why, now, the power to learn the lessons of history and see through the structure of ideologies and discourses—that is what becomes an essential "shield to protect freedom" for an artist. We need the power to learn from past history and act as a breakwater to see through and repel the background and structure of such discourses.

To avoid being used for propaganda

If you study history, there are things you can see through

• Whether those who speak of "tradition" or "patriotism" truly want to improve the country, or if they just want to dominate.

• The historical repetition of politicians' methods of gaining popularity by creating enemies.

• The danger of the discourse that "only I am right" and the mechanism that leads to violence.

In Nazi Germany, too, ideologies and art inconvenient to the regime were thoroughly excluded. Works by Jewish and leftist writers deemed "unsuitable for the German spirit" were censored and banned, eventually leading to the symbolic oppression known as book burning. In May 1933, university students gathered in a square in Berlin and incinerated thousands of books as "books that poison the national spirit." Among the books burned at this time were works by world-renowned artists such as
Marx, Freud, Remarque, Thomas Mann, and Heinrich Heine.

In fact, there is a prophetic passage in words written by Heine himself in the 19th century.

Ten years after burning books, the Nazis began burning people. This was the Holocaust. Movements that seek to exclude ideas and control expression eventually lead to the control and exclusion of human beings themselves. That is the cold, hard fact shown by history.

Sharp sensitivity can also be a risk. Since you make a living through expression, you cannot function without a certain degree of sharp sensitivity. And having sharp sensitivity also includes the danger of strongly resonating with appeals to emotions and anxieties such as "that's pitiful," "this can't go on," or "we must protect our country."

Creators who are always on the lookout for new things are particularly prone to reacting to "visually appealing discourse" and "emotionally stirring street propaganda."

And without the knowledge of what kind of historical consequences that resonance brought about—you might end up complicit without even knowing it. In fact, there are many artists who encounter political claims before history, and as a result of starting to broadcast with that biased worldview, they end up spreading a distorted view of history. That is why it is necessary to learn from history before politics.

The "freedom not to study" leads directly to being dominated by others.

Art and Propaganda

• The Nazis employed a large number of artists, architects, and film directors, and decorated violence with "beauty."

• The Imperial Rule Assistance Association, which aimed to mobilize the public in a unified national effort to wage war to strengthen Japan's political system, involved actors and painters to create "national policy art."

• Today, "exclusionary movements that put artists like manga and illustrators at the forefront" are proceeding quietly, but surely.

That piece you drew might unintentionally become part of a "story that excludes someone." To avoid that, you have no choice but to learn from history.

So, is this suppression of expression and state utilization just a thing of the past? Actually,
even in modern democratic nations, signs of expression coming under pressure are appearing.

The "Already Begun" Restrictions on Expression: America Under the Trump Administration

Under the administration of President Trump, who relies on the far-right Christian conservative base for support, there is a growing coldness toward art and expression, and an intensification of pressure on culturally inconvenient politics.

• Repeated proposals to completely eliminate budgets for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), etc.
  Attempts were made to cut funding for public broadcasting and arts support systems, labeling them a "waste of taxpayer money."

• Targeted attacks on critical artists and actors
  Actors like Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, and rapper Eminem, were treated as "enemies of America" in speeches and on social media.

• Censorship-like movements in schools and libraries
  With the backing of conservative politicians, there have been frequent cases of picture books and children's books dealing with LGBTQ+ and racial issues being removed.

• Inducing expression through "patriotic education" projects
  Promotion of education and culture specialized in portraying American history as "great." As a result, works that emphasize diversity and socially critical expressions have become easier to ostracize as "anti-American."

Some incidents even resemble book burnings. In 2022, in regions led by pro-Trump conservative school boards, books depicting LGBTQ+ youth and books about racial discrimination against Black people were labeled "harmful." Not only were they removed from public libraries, but their symbolic burning was spread on social media.

If the book burnings once carried out by the Nazis were acts of burning books that "poisoned the national spirit," these movements in modern America also lead to the dangerous ideology that "nothing other than specific values is allowed to exist."

While these are not legal "censorship," they are extremely dangerous signs in that politics uses the atmosphere to signal 'what is undesirable,' thereby intimidating creators.

Freedom of expression is not something that is maintained automatically without effort.
"It is a right that has only been protected by continuous fighting in every society and every era."

That is precisely why we must learn from history now and
be sensitive to the 'atmosphere that threatens freedom of expression.'

As for materials for learning history, I touched on them in the previous article, so please check that out if you are interested.

Five Foundations to Avoid Falling into Exclusionism

In this House of Councillors election, the tag "#DoNotVoteForDiscrimination" was born. I was deeply encouraged by its simple and powerful message, but I never imagined that in 2025, xenophobia and exclusionism would become the "biggest issue" of a national election.

The animator mentioned at the beginning is also devoted to a demagogic exclusionist populist. There is a reality where even creators are drawn into that magnetic field.

To avoid falling into exclusionism, one needs to train their imagination and empathy, and adopt an ethical perspective that views others not as "threats" but as "humans on the same horizon." This is not just a matter of sentiment or "kindness."

To learn history and gain the power to resist exclusionism, the following intellectual and ethical attitudes are required.

1. Know that the position you are in is not "the norm"

The state of being "Japanese," "in the majority," or "in a stable society" is by no means "natural." It is a product of chance, and in the world, it might actually be a minority. That is why training is needed to re-examine society from the perspectives of the discriminated, immigrants, and minorities.

2. Training not to view others as enemies motivated by "fear"

Much of xenophobia begins with "fear," "anxiety," and a "sense of loss."
However, rather than easily turning someone into an enemy, the ability to look at the true nature of that "fear," put it into words, and verify it is required. For example, having the perspective to verify the claim that "immigrants steal jobs" based on statistics and actual conditions.

③ Knowing that "discarding someone will not improve society"

Looking back at history, society has developed through inclusion, not exclusion. Even if you blame someone for short-term dissatisfaction or anxiety, it does not lead to the sustainability of society. A long-term perspective and structural understanding are essential.

④ A mentality that can perceive "difference" as a "discovery" rather than "hostility"

Do you feel "scared" when encountering a different culture, or do you think it is "interesting" and "educational"? That difference is nurtured through experiences such as education, art, reading, and travel. We need the sensibility that "being different" is not a threat, but a gateway to enriching society.

⑤ Self-awareness that "I, too, could become an 'alien' to someone else"

If I go abroad, there is always a possibility that I will be the target of prejudice as a minority. Thinking, "What if I were the one being excluded?" is the most fundamental exercise in cultivating imagination.

For example, during World War II, Japanese people living in America were forcibly sent to internment camps and forced to live behind barbed wire. Temperatures fluctuated from below freezing to nearly 40 degrees Celsius, they lived for years in crude barracks with no privacy, shared toilets and baths, and meals were distributed like school lunches.

Furthermore, in 1943, an unreasonable questionnaire called the "Loyalty Registration" was distributed within the camps.

"Are you willing to support the United States?"
"Are you willing to fight for the United States?"

These questions were intended to prove loyalty to the United States and brought great confusion and division to the Japanese-American community. Although the purpose was to make the interned Japanese people swear loyalty to America, for many, it was a denial of their own identity and created deep conflict.

Suspicious eyes were turned toward the Nisei (second generation) who held American citizenship, asking, "Will you really swear loyalty?" while the Issei (first generation), who were not even allowed to naturalize, were demanded to "renounce loyalty to Japan and swear loyalty to America." Depending on their status in relation to the country, both were confronted with unreasonable questions.

Those who answered "No" to these questions were deemed "dangerous individuals" and were moved to even stricter camps or separated from their families. Some were forced to sign papers to voluntarily "return to Japan." This truly proves that "I, too, could become the one treated as an alien."

Those who were there were not criminals who had hurt anyone. They were teachers, shopkeepers, farmers, students... ordinary citizens.

"Being Japanese" could suddenly turn into being a "dangerous existence" one day. That is what it means to be "treated as an alien."

Knowing such history also means turning one's eyes to the fact that "this moment, where I am in the majority," will not last forever.

Knowledge can be both a sword and a shield.
Those who turn to xenophobia often use knowledge as a "weapon," conveniently setting up enemies and inciting others.

That is why we must layer ethics and imagination on top of knowledge regarding "how to face others."

Silence is not neutrality; it is complicity. Expressing one's stance is the final breakwater protecting freedom.

I have written at length, but to be honest, a mere illustrator like me does not have much influence. Of course, if I am being honest, I think how reassuring it would be if influential people like national idols, actors, or major artists clearly raised their voices. However, that is no reason for those of us without influence to remain silent.

But there are already creators who have begun to raise their voices.

As far as I have confirmed, Kaoru Kurosawa of The Gospellers openly expresses strong anger toward discrimination.

Sumito Oowara, the creator of the manga 'Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!', also clearly states, 'I will never tolerate discrimination or xenophobia.'

Furthermore, actor Wan Marui, who is scheduled to appear in the morning drama 'Bakebake,' has also expressed a clear stance against exclusionism.

Additionally, KOM_I, an artist and former vocalist of Wednesday Campanella, was featured in an article for mentioning the Sanseito party on her Instagram Stories.

With that, she clearly says 'no'.

Masafumi Goto of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION is also growing increasingly alarmed by the xenophobic atmosphere.

How many people have been encouraged by their words?

Expressions and statements have the power to amplify a message many times over.

That is precisely why, if used incorrectly, they can become a megaphone for discrimination and prejudice, and even carry the risk of spreading hate unconsciously. Conversely, if directed in the right way, they can also become a megaphone that suppresses discrimination. If the transmission of discrimination and prejudice is 'noise,' then the messages from those who express can be 'anti-phase' messages that cancel it out. Much like active noise canceling, they have the power to attenuate the hate flowing through the air.

It is we, the 'expressers,' who hold that power.

If, by any chance, the day comes when Japan tries to walk the same path as Nazi Germany or pre-war militarism once again.

It might be too late to raise our voices in a panic when that time comes.

I have three children. They are all still young.

I absolutely want to avoid a future where I regret having remained silent when they eventually ask me, 'Dad, didn't you oppose it back then?'

Right now, a 'yellow light' is flashing in Japan.
If we continue like this, we will undoubtedly enter a dangerous territory.
We need to stop and think now.
If you want to protect freedom as an expresser.
If you do not want to be complicit in discrimination and exclusion as a human being.

Whether we can stop at the yellow light will determine our future.

Silence is sometimes taken as "acceptance."

Japanese people are easily swayed by the "atmosphere." Once a trend of exclusionism takes hold, there is a fear that it could turn into a muddy torrent in an instant. That is precisely why creators with many fans and followers stating clearly, "I oppose discrimination," can act as a stopper to halt that torrent.

Also, as I have repeated many times, the choice to "not take a stand" can sometimes be viewed as "accepting it."

The act of expression can only exist on the foundation of peace.

Drawing pictures, singing songs, making movies—
these are all activities that can only exist because there is a peaceful society that accepts diverse values.

In the midst of war, exclusion, and discrimination, one cannot freely imagine or create.
That is why I would like to say to many creators:

"We do not tolerate discrimination."
Please, I ask you to clearly state that intention.

Depending on how we express ourselves, this world can swing significantly.
Whether we can maintain peace depends on your expression of intent.

Thank you for reading this long piece.

If this article has given you even a little food for thought, or if there are parts you resonate with, it would be a great encouragement if you could react with a "Like" or a follow. I intend to continue thinking about and putting into words the relationship between expression and society.