The relevance of such a program can only be justified if we leave aside value judgments based on esthetics and distance ourselves from several presuppositions in order to see Manga and Japanese animation as a full and robust economic sector with ample development potential.

An absolute cultural phenomenon, manga are featured in prestigious magazines like the German Berliner Zeitung. Likewise, the highly respected Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design of London devotes a large amount of research to manga design. Today, the manga industry is a real economic phenomenon.

Newsweek estimates the manga market in France at some 260 million Euros which is equivalent to approximately ten times to that of the United States. Comparatively in the publishing sector, this figure represents a market identical to that of practical guides or educational books and close to three times the turnover of art books or social sciences, economy and law books. According to the National Union of Publishing in France, manga constitutes almost 30% of the total revenue of comic books in 2003.

Needs in Training

In addition to these economic data, specific needs of training for the manga industry are particularly important for at least four reasons:

• autonomy of this sector which demands an adapted training program in order to master its specific competences,
• diversification of the sector demand adaptability to products and markets,
• internationalization and the need to properly train managers, graphic artists and creators who have a solid knowledge base of intercultural management and Japanese culture,
• the needs of Japanese editors themselves who are constantly in search of new talent and new designers capable of innovation in art and concepts.

Studying at Eurasiam is to take part in one of the most innovating artistic domains, as well as one of the most promising economic sectors which offers a variety of career paths and professional perspectives in the design and publishing sectors.