Is Obojima Cultural Appropriation?

EricMesa

- 4 minutes read - 689 words

I created the video found at the end of this blog post to explore the topics of cultural appropriation, Orientalism, and a lack of Japanese creators involved in the creation of the Obojima D&D 5e campaign setting. It was inspired by a post on Bluesky which contained a link to a series of articles on the topic which I read about 2-3 months ago.

For posterity’s sake, the Bluesky post read:

Introducing Kashi 貸し, a guide to why “Ghibli-inspired” media without Japanese creatives is harmful. It includes links to learn more about Orientalism, Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, and Japanese culture.

Learn. Share. Change.

and here are some key sections from the page containing the articles:

The goal of Kashi is to educate about the prevalence of Orientalism, specifically in regards to the appropriation of Japanese culture, in the tabletop hobby and industry.

It is often disguised as “Ghibli-inspired” work or is folded into otherwise Western fantasy with katanas and ninjas. Nearly all of these instances are done without anyone of Japanese ancestry or from Japanese culture involved in the creative process.

This not only removes the significant cultural touchstones that make this media meaningful in the first place, but it further marginalizes the people who can authentically bring this beautiful and rich culture to life and share it in a way that is thoughtful and culturally resonant.

….

Kashi’s goal is not to revoke anyone’s ability to love Japanese culture and media, but to educate and implore that creatives, producers, and consumers alike center Japanese voices to play a role in telling their own story. Let Japanese people tell Japanese stories.

and at the bottom was a “Take Action” section which contained as one of the bullets:

  • Don’t buy Orientalist media (Obojima and others)

I spent a few weeks with the ideas bouncing around in my head as I wrestled with the the criticisms and my thoughts on the subject. This was the genesis of my video as a way to explore and continue the dialogue.

I do recognize that there can be a perception that I am not the right person to talk about this as I am not Japanese. I recognize as well the fact that in these debates the dominant cultures often either end up silencing criticism, coming across as clumsy allies, or otherwise taking away energy from the discussion of the ideas. At the same time, I don’t think that our culture is healthier if we restrict who is allowed to speak about what. I think being too dogmatic about that can lead (at least partially) to a backlash such as what we are seeing in the USA at this moment (late 2025, but really since 2016ish). It can foster feelings that come out as hatred or violence rather than dialogue. Not to belabor the point I’m trying to make in this paragraph, but what I’m trying to say is that while I can see that others might see me speaking about this topic of Japanese cultural appropriation in the same way they might see a European-American talking about why the Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, etc are or are not insensitive sports team names, I don’t think the automatic answer of “that’s not your judgment to make” is a helpful one. Instead I would love a dialogue with someone as to where they disagree with my assertions. It’s only in this way that we grow as people and learn from others.

One last quick point - stick with the video to the end before judging. There are a couple potentially problematic sounding points I make early on that I do address as the video goes on. There’s only so much I could have digressed from the main point before the video became a mess. Thanks!

As mentioned in the video, someone replied with a list of Japanese-made TTRPGs available in English:

Kotodama Heavy Industries(Kotohi) /Indie Press Revolution

  • Tenra Bansho Zero
  • Shinobigami
  • Ryuutama

Lionwing Publishing:

  • Picaresque Roman
  • Convictor Drive
  • Fledge Witch
  • Shin Megami Tensei - The Roleplaying Game: Tokyo Conception
  • Eldritch Escape: Tokyo(pre-order)
  • Kedamono Opera(pre-order)

They said many of these should be available on RPG Drive Thru.