Description
Book SynopsisThe phenomenon of ''Cool Japan'' is one of the distinctive features of global popular culture of the millennial age.
A History of Popular Culture in Japan provides the first historical and analytical overview of popular culture in Japan from its origins in the 17th century to the present day, using it to explore broader themes of conflict, power and meaning in Japanese history.E. Taylor Atkins shows how Japan was one of the earliest sites for the development of mass-produced, market-oriented cultural products consumed by urban middle and working classes. From traditional monochrome ink painting, court literature and poetry to anime, manga and J-Pop, popular culture was pivotal in the rise of Japanese nationalism, imperialism, militarism and economic development, and to the present day plays a central role in Japanese identity. With updated historiography throughout, this fully revised second edition features: - A new chapter on popular culture in the Edo period- An expanded sect
Trade Review1st edition reviews: “[It] brings to the fore themes such as cultural power, political conflict, and social identity (importantly, including gender, class, and race) against the backdrop of Japan's cultural history.” * H-Japan *
“The result is certainly suitable for undergraduate teaching but in many ways goes so far beyond as to repay close reading by scholars, graduate students, and the public. What Atkins achieves is a dense, multilayered history, not simply of Japanese pop but of Japan itself as seen through the lens of its highly consumable cultural products … Immensely readable, Atkins's prose is as full of humor and idiosyncratic character as his subject matter. The book's strength lies in the author's ability to capture the very vibrancy of popular culture in Japan while untangling its knotty threads (pun intended). Summing Up: Essential. All public and academic levels/libraries.” * CHOICE *
“[The] book provides, as well as an excellent narrative of historical popular culture, an articular and well-elaborated theoretical structure to understand it. It would be a valuable tool to teach theory as well as history and to sharpen the knowledge and wits of students and professors alike.” * Journal of Japanese Studies *
“At last, a concise volume that places Japanese popular culture-from the 17th-century origins of kabuki to Babe Ruth barnstorming Tokyo ballparks to Godzilla movies and Hello Kitty slippers-in a broader historical context. Students and instructors alike will welcome this book for its richness of detail, nuanced analysis, crisp writing, and flashes of humor.” * William M. Tsutsui, President and Professor of History, Hendrix College *
“This book surveys popular culture with a close eye on the socio-political workings that have shaped Japanese art, music, film, animation and sport through the years. Though expressly written as an undergraduate textbook, the detail of the research and the inclusion of sophisticated theory means that Atkins' book can also be used as a resource for writers working on contemporary Japanese culture.” * Carolyn Stevens, Professor of Japanese Studies, Monash University, Australia *
Atkins ... has crafted a gem of a revised, updated, and expanded second edition of his original volume ... an excellent volume for all readers interested in Japan and Japanese culture and for college courses on modern Japan. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The worst which has been thought and said? Defining popular culture 2 Floating worlds—the birth of popular culture in Japan 3 A whole new world—cultural exchanges with East Asia and Europe
4 Naughty and nice—early modern Japan’s culture wars 5 Popular culture as subject and object of Meiji modernization 6 Cultural living—cosmopolitan modernism in imperial Japan 7 Entertaining empire—popular culture as a “technology of imperialism” 8 “Our spirit against their steel”—mobilizing culture for war 9 Democracy, monstrosity, and pensive prosperity—postwar pop 10 Millennial Japan as dream factory Afterword—Contemplating cool Notes References Index
