Japanese popular culture

'Cosplayers' (from コスプレ kosupure 'costume roleplay') - teenagers who dress as characters from film, television or animé cartoons - pose for the cameras in Harajuku, Tokyo. These girls are dressed as members of the Japanese band 'Dir en grey'.
Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.

Japanese popular culture is a highly distinct collection of fashions, art, music and other forms of expression, appearing in both mainstream society and underground subcultures. While some examples of these are widely known in the West, such as cinema's Godzilla monster, many today are either unique to Japan or mainly influence contemporary Asian popular culture.

Popular culture in Japan is very much the mainstream; while ancient sites are easy to find, the Japanese are rarely seen practising traditional arts such as ikebana (活花, 'flower arranging'). Cartoons, comics and above all, anything kawaii (可愛い, 'cute') are strong influences on high-tech products and clothes available in the high street, as well as teenage and children's fashions. While young Japanese often follow overseas trends, they have also developed their own trendy subcultures that to outsiders may border on the bizarre - young people dressed in maid outfits or in cute Victorian-style 'Lolita' costumes are more common a sight in Tokyo than traditionally-dressed maiko (妓) girls in historic Kyoto. These trends come and go, reported by the huge media industry, and also find a home in the more seedy areas of Japanese society. Template:TOC-right

Cuteness

Much of mainstream Japanese society conforms to the idea that goods and lifestyle choices should be kawaii (可愛い, 'cute'). Baby-faced cartoons such as Pokémon (ポケットモンスター, Poketto Monsutā 'Pocket Monster') and small gadgets, often pink, are perhaps the best examples of this phenomenon, which is thought to be rooted in the rise of a Japanese consumer society in the 1970s, and also through the encouragement of dependent social relationships and the need to escape a highly stratified society. Many adults adore cuteness as much as children and teenagers: for example, bank cards are available with cute cartoon characters printed on them, and though the culture of kawaii is most firmly established among young girls, grown men are prepared to be seen with cute items too. The prevalence of kawaii has led to criticism both within and outside Japan, depicting its society as one of increasing infantilisation; such goods tend to be popular with non-Japanese children but have yet to make inroads among foreign adults. To a greater or lesser extent, each of the themes discussed below involves an appreciation of cuteness in some way.

(CC) Photo: Henry Tapia
Bank cards with cute characters on them are widely available in Japan.

Media

Japan is a nation of avid newspaper and magazine readers. About 92% of households subscribe to a morning newspaper, and the Japanese apparently consider print media to be the most reliable way to get their news. Newspaper circulation, with about 630 people to every thousand copies in the country, is significantly ahead of other nations, including the USA and the UK. News reporting ranges from serious political stories to the latest celebrity gossip, with the lives of these 'idols' detailed in popular magazines as well as on-line. Newspapers and the government often make use of comics (manga, 漫画 'comic') to put across important issues to people of all ages. The biggest-selling newspapers are the right-wing Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞) and the left-leaning Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞), while one of most widely read magazines is FRUiTS, a monthly guide to street fashion.

'Idols'

Japanese media extensively covers celebrity news, particularly the activities of aidoru (アイドル, 'idol'). Typically well-promoted female singers or supporting actors, their media lives are often short-lived, usually because they are selected mainly for their youth and cute looks rather than obvious talent. While occasionally idols such as Aya Sugimoto (杉本彩, Sugimoto Aya) continue to appear in the press for some time, often due to controversies in their personal lives, a few of them stay around long enough to influence a new fashion or craze, and even go on to become mainstream performers. For example, the singer Kumi Koda (倖田來未, Kōda Kumi), who has enjoyed success in the music charts for several years, is also associated with the fashion for hot pants, and the singer and actress Kyoko Koizumi (小泉今日子, Koizumi Kyōko) has been around in a variety of guises since the heyday of idols in the 1980s.

Technology

Internet

(blogosphere; Mixi)

Going out

Promoting a maid-kissa (メイド喫茶 meido-kissa, 'maid coffee shop') in Akihabara, Tokyo will involve looking the part; young women in maidlike waitresses' outfits are a common sight in this electronics quarter of the city.
Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.

Karaoke

karaoke (カラオケ, 'empty orchestra')

Fashion and subcultures

Traditional and modern meet on the streets of Harajuku, Tokyo.
Photo © by Sonny Santos, used by permission.

See also

• Culture of Japan
• Japan
• Popular culture
• Culture