With all the talk about the economic potential of creative industries dominating current discourse one could easily forget how creative work is also used for political goals.

Last Friday Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso proposed to grant a ‘Nobel Prize’ for foreign ‘manga’ cartoon artists and to award talented Japanese the title of ‘Anime Ambassador‘.

In the eyes of the minister Japan could well profit from the (still growing) popularity of Japanse cartoons - especially in countries with a reserved or even negative attitude towards Japan.