Publisher Description

Dolores Martinez heads an international team of scholars in this lively discussion of Japanese popular culture. The book's contributors include Japanese as well as British, Icelandic and North American writers, offering a diversity of views of what Japanese popular culture is, and how it is best approached and understood. They bring an anthropological perspective to a broad range of topics, including sumo, karaoke, manga, vampires, women's magazines, soccer and morning television. Through these topics - many of which have never previously been addressed by scholars - the contributors also explore several deeper themes: the construction of gender in Japan; the impact of globalisation and modern consumerism; and the rapidly shifting boundaries of Japanese culture and identity. This innovative study will appeal to those interested in Japanese culture, sociology and cultural anthropology.

Table of Contents

Introduction: the worlds of Japanese popular culture: gender shifting boundaries and global cultures D. P. Martinez; 1 Sumo in the popular culture of contemporary Japan Yamaguchi Masao; Part II. The Male Domain: 2 Transformational magic: some Japanese super-heroes and monsters Tom Gill; 3 Akira postmodernism and resistance Isolde Standish; 4 Japan's empty orchestras: echoes of Japanese culture in the performance of karaoke Bill Kelly; Part III. The Female Domain: 5 Vampries psychic girls flying women and sailor scouts: four faces of the young female in Japanese popular culture Susan Napier; 6 Japanese women's magazines: the language of aspiration Keiko Tanaka; 7 Nonchan's dream: NHK morning serialised television novels in the 1980s Paul Harvey; Part IV. Shifting Boundaries: 8 Je t'aime moi non plus: media stories of bliss and mixed blessings in marriages between the 'inside' and the 'outside' in Japan Halldor Stefansson; 9 The cult of Oguricap: or how women changed the social value of Japanese horse-racing Nagashima Nobuhiro; 10 Soccer shinhatsubai: what are Japanese consumers making of the J League? Jonathan Watts.

Review

'Sumo, karaoke and Japanese comic-inspired teenage superheroes are part of Western popular culture as well as Japan's, but the contributors to this book show that while globalization may be making Western and Eastern audiences familiar with each other's culture, a great deal is altered in the transfer. Derived mainly from anthropological perspectives, these essays are strong on folkloric continuities, giving rich and subtle readings of a wide range of 'worlds' - how, for instance, the enormous market for magazines, comics and daytime soap operas represents the rapidly changing role of women, or how the cult of the racehorse Oguricap marked the changing status of horseracing from its disreputable, male-dominated past to a respectable leisure activity with female fans ... the contributors write with insight and enthusiasm.' Times Literary Supplement

Long Description

This second edition of PE to 16 has been fully revised and updated, with new material, new examples, and new questions to match the demands of current specifications. It is suitable for all specifications, and is intended to be the clearest, most accessible book for GCSE and Standard grade examinations.

Review Quote

'Sumo, karaoke and Japanese comic-inspired teenage superheroes are part of Western popular culture as well as Japan's, but the contributors to this book show that while globalization may be making Western and Eastern audiences familiar with each other's culture, a great deal is altered in the transfer. Derived mainly from anthropological perspectives, these essays are strong on folkloric continuities, giving rich and subtle readings of a wide range of 'worlds' - how, for instance, the enormous market for magazines, comics and daytime soap operas represents the rapidly changing role of women, or how the cult of the racehorse Oguricap marked the changing status of horseracing from its disreputable, male-dominated past to a respectable leisure activity with female fans … the contributors write with insight and enthusiasm.' Times Literary Supplement

Promotional "Headline"

International team of authors explores Japanese popular culture, including sumo, manga and women's magazines.

Description for Bookstore

An international team of authors, with an anthropological perspective, explore the many facets of Japanese popular culture. Topics include sumo, karaoke, manga, women's magazines, horse-racing, soccer and morning television. Deeper themes, such as globalisation, identity and the construction of gender, are also discussed.

Description for Library

An international team of authors, with an anthropological perspective, explore the many facets of Japanese popular culture. Topics include sumo, karaoke, manga, women's magazines, horse-racing, soccer and morning television. Deeper themes, such as globalisation, identity and the construction of gender, are also discussed.

Details