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Book Review: Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US

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Japanamerica Book Review My Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Japanese pop culture has become mainstream in the US. Everywhere you go, you see anime, manga, video games, figurines, collectibles and other tchotchkes with some Japanese character on it. For those interested in the roots of this phenomenon, Roland Kelts has written a fascinating guide to how Japanese pop culture has become a multi-billion dollar industry.

Typically books on Japanese pop culture are either scholarly essays written by a multitude of authors or otaku guides outlining what you need to know to survive as a fan. Kelt's book is more about the story of Japanese culture - where it came from and where it is now - and is written in conversational style like you'd find on Boing Boing or in Wired Magazine.

The book starts off with Osamu Tezuka, considered the "father of anime" and details his rise to global fame with such hits as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. From there, Kelts tackles how Speed Racer became a US sensation, Hayao Miyazaki's career including commentary about his Oscar-winning masterpiece Spirited Away, and how they paved the way for the business of modern anime.

That path hasn't always been beneficial. For instance, some say the anime industry is still "cursed" by Tezuka because he set the standard for an absurdly low price per episode back in the early 60s to get his animation on tv. He was born into money, so he could price however he wanted. Miyazaki, who was also born into money, got around Tezuka's pricing limitations by focusing on cinema rather than tv episodes.

To get an insider's perspective, Kelts spends a good portion of the book interviewing some of the biggest names in Japanese pop culture like artist Takashi Murakami, novelist Haruki Murakami (no relation to Takashi), Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani, Masakazu Kubo, executive producer at Shogakukan who helped transform Pokemon into a global phenomenon, and even Shinichiro Ishikawa, president of Gonzo Digimation Holding (GDH). He also talks with fans including a young animator trying to break into the industry, a hentai otaku and other enthusiasts for a balanced perspective.

One of the books' running themes is how anime encompasses the diversity of Japanese history and culture. Artist Takashi Murakami likens Japan to the world's first post-apocalyptic society because of what it went through with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Stories like Grave of the Fireflies and Akira were how the artists dealt with the trauma.

In addition, Japan's culture is defined by order and tradition from Buddhism and Shintoism to tea ceremonies and discipline. Anime and manga were a way for artists to rebel against that mindset. Since Japan doesn't have the strict morality imposed by Christianity, they could explore areas considered taboo in the US like yaoi (boys love) or violence against women.

Kelts describes a hentai otaku who is into the tentacle rape genre. As he explains it, Japanese obscenity laws used to be much stricter so "you can directly show girls being made love to by anything that isn't an actual cock" which led to "demons with hundreds of tentacles, or trees with branches that do naughty things." And even though you can find all sorts of rape simulation games and violent depictions against women, actual violence against women is pretty rare in Japan. They are able to engage in fantasies but they don't act them out.

Japanamerica also spends considerable time exploring the differences between how Japanese and American executives do business.

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Comments:

I couldn't agree more with this review. I've read a lot of books on Japanese pop culture, most of which are pretty forgettable. But Japanamerica is special--a real insider's view on the personalities and truths behind Japan's amazing pop culture, written beautifully in an accessible and entertaining voice. The author also covers fashion, food and music. Like the review says, this is a must-read, whether you're already a fan or just curious about what's going on.

posted by Alexi | 1/5/2008 2:15:23 PM

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