A Mouse, A Plumber, and You : How Disney and Nintendo Brought Japan and the U.S. Together Post-WWII Through Family Entertainment

Abstract

I will be examining the history of Disney and Nintendo, how they have helped construct the childhoods of Japanese and Americans alike, and how they have helped the two countries heal from the second World War. Disney first took off around the start of WWII when they released Snow White and The Seven Dwarves in 1937. During the American occupation of Japan in the 1950's, as their movies flooded into the country, they helped to create a new, thriving animation and entertainment industry. Following WWII, Nintendo found growing success in this new entertainment landscape after a striking a partnership with Disney in 1958 to produce playing cards. Come the 1970s and 80s, they took the world by storm with revolutionary gaming systems. Come today, Disney and Nintendo are two of the biggest companies in the world. Disney is responsible for a sizable amount of popular animated movies and champions theme parks globally. Nintendo has pioneered the video game market and has greatly influenced positive public perception on gaming. Though both companies market towards children and families, they’ve found large fan bases with adults.