José Javier Fernández Díaz: “Worldwide Animation: Japan, Europe and LATAM and its cultural exchange”

This masterclass will showcase the recent global trends in Anime and the surprising connection between Latino American Mangakas, European Hits like Robot Dreams and the Doki Doki Festival in Instituto Cervantes, Japanese Success worldwide and symbolic acquisition by the Gen Z youth. We will also introduce the Japanese version of the report on the results of the EU-Japan Animation Workshop held at Expo 2025 Osaka, bringing together industry professionals to discuss the future of international collaboration.

Speaker: Javier Fernandez (Spain)

Javier Fernandez currently holds the presidency of EUNIC Japan, the Association of European Cultural Institutes and he is the Culture Manager of the Spanish House of Culture (Instituto Cervantes). With 20 years of experience in the GAC industries(Gaming, Animation, and Comics), he co-founded Doki Doki, the first and only Spanish-speaking Animation Festival in Asia. At Instituto Cervantes, he has supported the promotion of RobotDreams in the Japanese market and facilitated collaborations with the San Sebastian Film Festival, the Tokyo International Film Festival, and the Niigata Animation Film Festival. With professional experience in audiovisual companies across both the EU, Japan and China, he bridges diplomacy, research and innovation.