How Japanese depict themselves in cartoons
 

(Yes, I'm back after a long absence, seeing I'm still remembered. This time I'm sticking around.)

In past discussions about the original late '80s/early'90s TV cartoon, it was commented that Shredder didn't seem Oriental in his appearance.

In one sense it's true; he's quite huge for a Japanese person. But when you see manga and other forms of Japanese cartoons, the style of his character doesn't seem inconsistent with Oriental characters depicted in Japanese comics, for the target audience of their own countrymen. Or am I wrong?

The Japanese, at least as far as generalizing anime and manga is concerned, don't particularly care for logic when it comes to ethnic appearances.

Hence you get drawings of Japanese natives with blonde hair, blues eyes and are 6 feet tall. And in some cases you get Japanese natives with blue hair, GIGANTIC eyes and are 9 feet tall.

Compared to most character designs done by actual Japanese people, I found the Shredder looked convincingly Oriental.

I agree. At least Oroku Saki had the Asian coloring and slanted eyes. Facial bone structure I am not so sure. But he did seem Japanese enough for me.

As an otaku who watches WAY too much anime, I have seen Japanese people portrayed with all sort of psychodelic hair and eye colors. So Oroku Saki is fine compared to them.

Considering the main characters of Bleach and Kenshin, among others, yeah.

Who's Japanese?
 

All Japanese doesn't like 100 % Japanese. Being a Japanese can mean you have a Japanese citizenship, and not always just belonging to an ethnic group. Migration has always occured in the world.

This is true. However, while I'm not a real expert on Japan, I know that Japan is not a nation that is very accepting of outsiders, and probably very few people of non-Japanese descent ever become Japanese citizens. Koreans who live in Japan, even born and raised there, are reportedly still required to carry passports. (The only other major ethnic group outside the Japanese themselves are the Ainu, the aboriginal island residents.)

However, there are at least some Japanese citizens who doesn't look like most Japanese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people

More information on the Ainu people, who are now legally Japanese citizens.