Japanese Pop Culture: Discovering the Fascinating Japanese Pop Culture - The Land of Manga and Anime PDF Download

Author: Vincent Miller
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781794471399
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
Japan is an island nation replete with densely populated cities, the power of ancient Imperialism still looming large, thousands of temples and shrines, mountains, volcanoes, samurais and more. For some time, Japan was a powerful empire backed by her military and industrial strength.Like all things in the world, the empire withered over time and, for various reasons. But that did not stop the country from retaining its powers. The country simply shifted its gaze on the world horizon from military and industrialization to something far more potent than economics and arms; popular culture. Its territorial powers are now evident in almost living room through the television, and in everyone's ears through their headphones.Look at the way icons from popular Japanese culture have invaded the western world. Right from movies to manga to highly entertaining and popular cartoon characters to music to anime; Japanese pop culture has contributed significantly to the world pop culture, especially the western world.And it is not just western kids who are fascinated by the popular culture offered by Japan. Many of the anime series of Japanese pop culture are aimed as much at adults as at children. Gory, violent, and yet gripping, only Japan's creative minds can convert comics or manga written in their language into something that adults would get addicted to.This book traces the history of Japanese pop culture through the following elements: movies, TV shows, anime and manga; and their impact on the Western World.

Author: Hector Garcia
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462920020
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
Created specifically for fans of Japanese "cool culture," A Geek in Japan is one of the most iconic, hip, and concise cultural guides available. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded with new chapters on Japanese video games, architecture, and a special section on visiting Kyoto. Reinvented for the internet age, it's packed with personal essays and hundreds of photographs, presenting all the touchstones of both traditional and contemporary culture in an entirely new way. The expansive range of topics include: Bushido, Geisha, Samurai, Shintoism, and Buddhism Traditional arts and disciplines like Ukiyo-e, Ikebana, Zen meditation, calligraphy, martial arts, and the tea ceremony Insightful essays on code words and social mores; dating and drinking rituals; working and living conditions and symbols and practices that are peculiarly Japanese Japanese pop culture genres and their subcultures, like otaku, gals, visual kei, and cosplay For visitors, the author includes a mini guide to his favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo as well as tips on special places of interest in other parts of Japan. Garcia has written an irreverent, insightful, and highly informative guide for the growing ranks of Japanophiles around the world.

Author: Mark W. MacWilliams
Publisher: M.E. Sharpe
ISBN: 0765633086
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Born of Japan's cultural encounter with Western entertainment media, manga (comic books or graphic novels) and anime (animated films) are two of the most universally recognized forms of contemporary mass culture. Because they tell stories through visual imagery, they vault over language barriers. Well suited to electronic transmission and distributed by Japan's globalized culture industry, they have become a powerful force in both the mediascape and the marketplace. This volume brings together an international group of scholars from many specialties to probe the richness and subtleties of these deceptively simple cultural forms. The contributors explore the historical, cultural, sociological, and religious dimensions of manga and anime, and examine specific sub-genres, artists, and stylistics. The book also addresses such topics as spirituality, the use of visual culture by Japanese new religious movements, Japanese Goth, nostalgia and Japanese pop, comics for girls, and more. With illustrations throughout, it is a rich source for all scholars and fans of manga and anime as well as students of contemporary mass culture or Japanese culture and civilization.

Author: Matt Alt
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 1984826719
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
The untold story of how Japan became a cultural superpower through the fantastic inventions that captured—and transformed—the world’s imagination. “A masterful book driven by deep research, new insights, and powerful storytelling.”—W. David Marx, author of Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style Japan is the forge of the world’s fantasies: karaoke and the Walkman, manga and anime, Pac-Man and Pokémon, online imageboards and emojis. But as Japan media veteran Matt Alt proves in this brilliant investigation, these novelties did more than entertain. They paved the way for our perplexing modern lives. In the 1970s and ’80s, Japan seemed to exist in some near future, gliding on the superior technology of Sony and Toyota. Then a catastrophic 1990 stock-market crash ushered in the “lost decades” of deep recession and social dysfunction. The end of the boom should have plunged Japan into irrelevance, but that’s precisely when its cultural clout soared—when, once again, Japan got to the future a little ahead of the rest of us. Hello Kitty, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and multimedia empires like Dragon Ball Z were more than marketing hits. Artfully packaged, dangerously cute, and dizzyingly fun, these products gave us new tools for coping with trying times. They also transformed us as we consumed them—connecting as well as isolating us in new ways, opening vistas of imagination and pathways to revolution. Through the stories of an indelible group of artists, geniuses, and oddballs, Pure Invention reveals how Japan’s pop-media complex remade global culture.

Author: David Watts Barton
Publisher: Stone Bridge Press, Inc.
ISBN: 1611729459
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
This friendly guide offers concise but detailed demystifications of more than 85 aspects of ancient and modern Japan. It can be read in sequence, or just dipped into, depending on the moment’s need. Explanations go much deeper than a typical travel guide and cover 1,500 years of history and culture, everything from geisha to gangsters, haiku to karaoke, the sun goddess to the shogunate . . . and anime to Zen.

Author: Abby Denson
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462914934
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
Traveling to Japan has never been so much fun—visit the land of anime, manga, cosplay, hot springs and sushi! This graphic Japan travel guide is the first of its kind exploring Japanese culture from a cartoonist's perspective. Cool Japan Guide takes you on a fun tour from the high-energy urban streets of Tokyo to the peaceful Zen gardens and Shinto shrines of Kyoto and introduces you to: the exciting world of Japanese food—from bento to sushi and everything in between. the otaku (geek) culture of Japan, including a manga market in Tokyo where artists display and sell their original artwork. the complete Japanese shopping experience, from combini (not your run-of-the-mill convenience stores!) to depato (department stores with everything). the world's biggest manga, anime and cosplay festivals. lots of other exciting places to go and things to do—like zen gardens, traditional Japanese arts, and a ride on a Japanese bullet train. Whether you're ready to hop a plane and travel to Japan tomorrow, or interested in Japanese culture, this fun and colorful travelogue by noted comic book artist and food blogger Abby Denson, husband Matt, friend Yuuko, and sidekick, Kitty Sweet Tooth, will present Japan in a unique and fascinating way.

Author: Hector Garcia
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 9784805311295
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
For every fan of manga, anime, J-pop, or Zen, A Geek in Japan is a hip, smart and concise guide to the land that is their source. Comprehensive and well informed, it covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by sidebars and numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan. Designed to appeal to the generations of Westerners who grew up on Pokemon, manga and video games, A Geek in Japan reinvents the culture guide for readers in the Internet age. Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they're so fond of robots, author Hector Garcia has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Japanophiles in this inspired, insightful and highly informative guide.

Author: Gianni Simone
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 146292154X
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 149

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Book Description
Transport yourself to the global capital of cool with this ultimate guide to Japanese pop culture! Are you crazy about Japanese manga, anime, video games, cosplay, toys and idols? If so, this book is for you! Whether you're planning a trip to Japan, have a severe case of wanderlust, or are just fascinated by its culture, let Otaku Japan transport you to the capital of cool. In this practical travel guide, over 450 iconic shops, restaurants, cafes, clubs and events are presented in loving detail with precise directions on how to find them. More than 20 maps, websites and over 400 color photos take you the length and breadth of Japan to all the centers of Otaku culture--from snowy Hokkaido to sunny Kyushu. Highlights include: Interviews with Game Developers Cosplay and Halloween Events in Japan Dojinshi: Self-published Comics A Visit to the Ghibli Museum Interview with famous Japanese idols Anime-themed Trains A Glossary of Otaku Terms And much, much more! The book covers all major regions in Japan--Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya, Sapporo and Fukuoka--as well as lesser-known areas like Tohoku, Chugoku and Shikoku.

Author: Evangeline Neo
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462920772
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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Book Description
**Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Winner** For fans of Japanese manga and anime, a trip to Tokyo is an absolute must! In this captivating Tokyo travel guide, manga artist and author Evangeline Neo travels to the Japanese capital with her mascots Kopi the dog and Matcha the cat in tow, bringing you to all the otaku sights this city has to offer. She shows you where to shop for manga memorabilia in Akihabara and Nakano, takes you on a tour of famous anime and manga museums like Studio Ghibli and Sanrio Puroland, and shares her experiences at a cosplay studio, a maid and butler cafe, and a manga drawing class. In addition to manga and anime-related adventures, Eva brings readers to all the must-see Tokyo sites as well--from Asakusa's Sensoji Temple to Tokyo Tower and the Meiji Shrine. She also introduces travelers to sushi train restaurants, hot spring baths and a kimono makeover session--even a day trip to Mt. Fuji! Along the way, she shows you all her favorite places to shop and eat, and gives advice on what to pack, what to buy, how to get around, and even how to speak a few words of survival Japanese. This manga guide to Tokyo is depicted in charming and humorous drawings and stories, which are as enjoyable for armchair travelers as they are practically useful for visitors to the city. Step into the world of modern Japanese culture through this amusing and unique guide to one of the world's top cities.

Author: Gianni Simone
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462919707
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
Tokyo is ground zero for Japan's famous "geek" or otaku culture--a phenomenon that has now swept across the globe. This is the most comprehensive Japan travel guide ever produced which features Tokyo's geeky underworld. It provides a comprehensive run-down of each major Tokyo district where geeks congregate, shop, play and hang out--from hi-tech Akihabara and trendy Harajuku to newer and lesser-known haunts like chic Shimo-Kita and working-class Ikebukuro. Dozens of iconic shops, restaurants, cafes and clubs in each area are described in loving detail with precise directions to get to each location. Maps, URLs, opening hours and over 400 fascinating color photographs bring you around Tokyo on an unforgettable trip to the centers of Japanese manga, anime and geek culture. Interviews with local otaku experts and people on the street let you see the world from their perspective and provide insights into Tokyo and Japanese culture, which will only continue to spread around the globe. Japanese pop culture, in its myriad forms, is more widespread today than ever before--with J-Pop artists playing through speakers everywhere, Japanese manga filling every bookstore; anime cartoons on TV; and toys and video games, like Pokemon Go, played by tens of millions of people. Swarms of visitors come to Tokyo each year on a personal quest to soak in all the otaku-related sights and enjoy Japanese manga, anime, gaming and idol culture at its very source. This is the go-to resource for those planning a trip, or simply dreaming of visiting one day!