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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. For instance, when we think of Japan, cars and electronics come to mind. They are good at exporting efficiency – not ideas and creativity, nor do they provide creators with incentives or bonuses. The Pac-Man creator never got rich from his creation – he even mentioned he never received a bonus for it. If he had worked for a US company, he’d be a multi-millionnaire now.

Another example – Pokemon has grossed $25 billion worldwide since its beginnings in 1996 yet its creator isn’t a household name. Masakazu Kubo of Shogakuka reveals some hard lessons they learned (to the tune of millions of dollars) by not taking a more active management role with 4Kids’ distribution of the series in the US and how they won’t make those mistakes again.

The book offers so many fascinating tidbits from the origins of the word “otaku” to how Hollywood movies (The Matrix, Kill Bill) are emulating Japanese styles to how Japan tolerates the doujinshi market to how Gonzo is partnering with US companies to produce cutting edge anime like Afro Samurai that I finished it in a single sitting.

This is by far the most interesting overview I’ve read on Japanese pop culture and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the history of anime, how the anime business is run, or why Japanese pop culture has become so popular in America – both newbies and hardcore otaku will get something out of it.