Kadokawa International Edutainment has chosen Taiwan as the first overseas location for its anime and manga vocational school. The school opened on Friday.
The famous Japanese company is planning to start 10 schools throughout Southeast Asia. Taiwan was chosen as the first location because of its proximity to Japan and its investor-friendly environment.
In Japan, these types of afterschool anime and manga classes can count towards college credits, but that is not yet the case in Taiwan. Economics ministry official Yang Hong said it is a great opportunity for artists in Taiwan to learn to work in this popular Japanese medium. In the past, Taiwan only played an OEM role in the anime and manga industry. Now Taiwanese students have the opportunity to learn the art firsthand.
The ministry said that the Japanese company invested NT$50 million (about US$1.6 million) in their new school in Taiwan. Taiwan usually doesn’t see foreign cultural investors so if the manga school does well, it will set a good precedent.