Posts Tagged: cool japan

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2
Jul 10

Visual Kei Music: When Gothic Meets Flair

A style of music native to Japan with a sizeable following is Visual Kei (“visual” of course is an English word and “kei” means “style” in Japanese). This type of music is known for its performers’ visual style as much as their music, as they’re dressed in incredibly ornate fashion.

Visual Kei may owe some of its roots to flamboyantly colored and stylized ancient performance styles from Japan, such as kabuki and noh. They may also owe some of their style to glam rock singers, such as Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie). However, their look is largely unique and not quite exactly like any of these influences.

Visual Kei bands typically—but not always—wear clothes inspired by overly colorful or Gothic black-and-white Victorian-era European attire, with lots of ruffles and large, baggy sleeves. Feathers, ribbons and lace are common accessories. The band members’ hair is typically dyed bright colors and is styled in long, wavy or spiky style, but may also be elegantly tied back. The band members may also wear color contacts, since most Japanese people have dark brown eyes and they want to appear a little more European. (However, the contacts may also be a color not found in human eyes.)

The band members’ faces and exposed skin are also typically painted pure white, which is a direct connection to the kabuki and noh style of theatrics. (Pale, white skin is traditionally seen as a sign of beauty in Japan and may represent delicateness.) Perhaps more closely tied to the theatrical traditions of kabuki and noh is the fact that many Visual Kei bands feature at least one band member who dresses explicitly as a woman—despite being a man. All of the band members tend to embrace a sense of androgyny, but some more so than others.

The type of music you might hear from a Visual Kei band might be described as some sort of punk, classical music or operatic music and glam rock mix, with hints of metal. Songs can be both hard-core and upbeat or slow and ballad-like.

Visual Kei debuted in the late 1980s and was quite popular during the 1990s, but the popularity died down somewhat toward the end of the decade. It’s had a sort of revival since 2007, but it’s more popular these days with a core audience than a widespread one.

Here’s a taste of some Visual Kei:

~Versailles, a modern band~

~Malice Mizer, one of the most popular bands from the ‘90s (now disbanded)~

What do you think of Visual Kei music? What about the bands’ style? What do you think is more important to this genre of music, the music itself or the style of the band?

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12
May 10

Aidoru: The Japanese “Idol”

American Idol may have gotten North American audiences used to the idea of putting a person plucked from obscurity on a pedestal for his or her singing talent for a year or so before the idol (usually) fades back into obscurity, but the “idol” (aidoru in Japanese, but the word is taken from the English equivalent) has long been hot in Japan. Not always (but often) singers, the Japanese idol becomes a massive cross-media hit known more for her (we’ll get to that in a minute) looks and (possibly manufactured) personality than her talent.

Sometimes in the 1970s, the idol boom began in Japan, strangely not after the cross-media popularity of a native Japanese woman in Japan, but of a French musician named Sylvie Vartan. Talent agencies formed keen to produce the next “idol,” the next young woman who would be plastered across all media outlets and become the next big “cash cow.”

Japanese idols are usually women, but some young men may be considered idols (men typically become idols through initially joining the music or acting industry, though, and don’t specifically set out to be an all-encompassing “idol.”) Idols are usually teenagers (specifically 14 to 16), but may be as young as 12 or so and as “old” as in their early 20s. Very few idols remain popular beyond their 20s, but there are a few memorable ones who have preserved and have been recognized for their talents in the long-term.

Idols may sing, act, or model (or all three), but they don’t necessarily have to have a “talent” and aren’t marketed for their one talent. The goal is to have the next, hot new idol permeate everything in the entertainment industry that she can. This typically means frequent appearances on talk shows, variety shows, radio shows, and game shows, as well as sponsorship deals. A Japanese idol must be pretty or cute (as deigned by the talent agency), thin, and must demonstrate a lovable, sweet personality in her appearances. Some are even known for being “lovable airheads” and gladly milk this personality portrayal for all that it’s worth. However, it’s well known that the overly cute “personality” is often just an act and there are sometimes gossip stories about how ruthless and mean—or conversely, how intelligent and down-to-earth—the idols can be when not “on camera.”

The Japanese idol industry is a tough, competitive industry for which thousands of young women compete each year. Only a few successful idols “survive” their few years of fame to become famous in the long-term, and those are usually the ones who have real talent and genuinely act like themselves when interviewed.

Do you know of any Japanese idols? Who are your favorites? Do you think it’s demeaning for women to become idols or does it at least provide a good start for women with genuine talent to become recognized?

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7
Apr 10

The Japanese Ministry Aims to Boost ‘Cool Japan’

According to The Yomiuri Shibun, the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry recently revealed a plan to boost the “Cool Japan” culture internationally. What’s “Cool Japan”? Well, if you’re interested in this blog, you may already know and not realize it. “Cool Japan” is Japanese pop culture and other countries’ love for it, particularly Japanese food, fashion, anime/manga, and video games.

The Ministry’s strategy targets other parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. Currently, only 2% of these Japanese pop culture sales are actually made outside of the country. However, the “Cool Japan” industries employ over 2 million people in Japan and total about ¥45 trillion (about US$480 million) in sales annually, so adding to this total by focusing on foreign markets can boost employment and commerce in Japan considerably.

The proposal asks the Japan External Trade Organization and private Japanese consulting firms to provide assistance to companies that want to export their properties overseas, particularly small to midsize businesses that are struggling to get a foothold. Companies like Nintendo, for example, certainly won’t need the assistance, but they could still benefit from some of the proposed changes.

Japan’s largest book publisher, Kodansha, might have been ahead of the game. Long since one of the biggest manga publishers in Japan, multiple American manga publishers have licensed their work for North American publication over the past decade or so. Kodansha got a cut of the sales, but they largely left creative control over translation, presentation, and marketing to the American companies. This has led to a wide range of quality from title to title and publisher to publisher. Not so anymore, as Kodansha has stopped licensing its manga titles to American companies and let most of its licenses with American publishers expire in preparation for starting its own American division. This will employ more Japanese citizens, give Kodansha full profit over North American sales, and allow Kodansha better control over how their part of pop culture is presented outside of Japan. (However, they will still be distributed by an American company—Random House—and so are allowing some of their titles to continue publication with Del Rey, one of the top American publishers of manga.)

Another part of the Ministry’s strategy actually involves asking foreign creators to come to Japan to help create the “cool Japan” image that’s going to be exported. The Ministry hopes to accomplish this through a reform on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law that will make issuing and keeping work visas easier for companies and immigrants.

Are you a fan of “Cool Japan”? What’s your favorite part of Japanese pop culture? Do you think it’s counterintuitive for the Ministry to want foreign creators to help them export the “Cool Japan” image? Why or why not?

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26
Mar 10

Japanese Television: Dorama

In the U.S., the goal of virtually every television show is to get renewed for another season. The successful shows are renewed for a total of three, five, ten or even twenty years (The Simpsons, if you’re wondering) even if, as fans often discover, the longer a show runs, the weaker the writing and the quality of the production becomes. In many parts of the world, though, what is effectively known as the mini-series in America is the standard for fictional shows.

Japan is one such example. There are many long-running variety shows, reality shows and shows aimed at children, but the vast majority of fictional shows in Japanese TV are short-running. Only when a show is really quite successful will it get a sequel series—but even that sequel series will run for a pre-determined amount of time or may even be a one-time special bonus episode. In lieu of a TV-original sequel special, the very most popular Japanese shows—shows that get as much as 30 to 50% of the viewership, which is quite remarkable—might get a cinematic-release movie sequel instead, but this happens somewhat rarely.

Rather than the comedy sitcom or the long-running crime-solving drama series, the dorama or “drama” (the word is taken from English) is the standard of live-action Japanese fictional shows. With few exceptions, a dorama begins as a 12- or 13-episode series (each episode runs an hour with commercials) with a complete story contained therein. In other words, shows won’t end on monumental cliffhangers in the hopes of getting renewed (which, in America, often leads to disappointed fans if the show isn’t renewed and questions go unanswered). They end happily, as is most often the case, or at least they end with all questions answered and the storyline satisfactorily wrapped up.

If the show is popular enough for another 12- or 13-episode sequel series or at least a 2-hour one-time sequel special episode, the story in the sequel will be new and not a continuation of unanswered plot points from the original series. That’s not to say that more “drama” won’t ensue in the dorama, as a happy ending from the original series is often turned on its head so that the sequel can be full of conflict again, but if you never saw the sequel, you ought to be left satisfied with the original ending.

Japanese dorama shows air throughout the day, but the evening shows are the most popular. Because shows generally last only 12 or 13 weeks, new seasons start four times a year and there is no “off” season for new shows like there is in America during the summer. Dorama shows are often based on original stories, but they’re also frequently based on popular novels, light novels, and manga (graphic novels).

Do you like that popular American shows keep on airing or would you rather they end before they get less interesting? Do you like the idea of having a new favorite show four times a year?

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16
Mar 10

Enka Music

Enka music is a uniquely Japanese style of music that’s popular with the older generations of Japanese in particular. As the enka singers dress in traditional Japanese kimono during their performances and sing slow ballads in vibrato style, you might think that enka is a very ancient form of Japanese singing. Although enka does have its roots in traditional Japanese music, it’s actually a cultural pop music phenomenon developed during the 20th century.

Modern enka became popular after World War II. The lyrics of the songs, like blues songs in the West, most often deal with sadness, lost love, death, and dealing with difficult trials. However, the music does usually include some self-encouragement to persevere even through difficult times.

Another characteristic of enka music is the vibrato. Vibrato is when a singer sings a note at a fluctuating pitch. The effect is a bit echo-like. The type of vibrato that enka singers employ is called kobushi and it’s a slightly different style of vibrato that that employed by opera singers, as the pitch only fluctuates to one degree.

Kitajima Saburou is generally considered to be the country’s most famous enka singer. His most popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s often made it to the top 10 positions on popular music charts. He continues to release singles and even released one earlier this year at the age of 73.

Here’s a performance by Kitajima in the early 1990s:

Kitajima Saburou

The music hasn’t been particularly popular with young Japanese for the past few decades, although that’s changing thanks to a few pop music stars trying out the genre and the debut of artists like Jero, who better appeal to young Japanese. Jero (Jerome Charles White, Jr.), whose maternal grandmother was Japanese, became Japan’s first professional African-American enka singer when he debuted in 2008 to rave reviews. Jero appreciated the art form while growing up and decided to pursue it professionally after moving to Japan as an adult to teach English and work as a computer programmer. He became famous only 2 months after his debut. Unlike the native Japanese enka singers, Jero chose not to wear traditional Japanese clothing during his performances and instead wears American hip-hop baggy clothes and jewelry. The contrast of his voice and style of singing with his clothing makes for very surprising performances!

See Jero perform enka with another enka singer here:

Jero

You can see Jero in the United States this spring, starting later this month! Click here for more information.

What do you think of enka music? Had you ever heard any before you read it here in this post? What do you think of Jero’s performance and style?

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8
Mar 10

Reading in Chapters: Japanese Light Novels

Having novels published in stages is nothing new. Classic English authors like Charles Dickens published most of his massive novels in serialized form in magazines and journals, giving his fans just one installment at a time and leaving them hooked and eager for more.

In Japan, many novels, particularly those aimed at young adults, are sold in a similar fashion. “Light novels,” as these novels are called (the Japanese even say the English words “light novel”: “raito noberu”), are actually closer to what we consider novellas (short novels) in the West. At an average of around 40,000 to 50,000 words each, these novels are miniature versions of what we consider novels for young adults in the West. To give you an idea, the Harry Potter books range from 76,000 to 257,000 words each.

Light novels are easy to read because they don’t require a long period of time to commit to reading, so they appeal to busy, technical-savvy modern young adults in Japan. However, you’re unlikely to find stand-alone works published as light novels—that would defeat the purpose of the light novel. The publishers really want to hook their readers on the first book and make them come back for the next, which is often published mere months after the previous installment. Light novels are usually series that can last 5, 10 or even 20 books. The average length of a series is around 12 to 13 light novels. However, add up 12 light novels and you still only get about two Harry Potter books!

Light novels are rarely considered modern Japanese classics, although some frequent light novel authors have been praised for their skills. The language used in light novels is very minimalist and to-the-point. This also helps make them more appealing for the busy Japanese teenager who wants a quick and easy way to escape the pressures of school and daily life.

Another feature of light novels is that, although they are aimed at young adults, they often feature black and white illustrations, most often in the Japanese manga (“comic book”) style. This appeals to a culture where even adults enjoy reading manga. Light novels are also printed in smaller dimensions than we’re used to in the West, so they’re easier to carry around. Typical light novels are printed in dimensions of only about 4 inches by 5 inches.

Even some Western books that make it into translation in Japanese are published in light novel format. Stephenie Meyer’s popular Twilight series is one example. Four rather bulky books in the West were turned into one light novel series in Japan consisting of 13 volumes (complete with manga-style illustrations). None of the books are considered “sequels.” They’re all part of one large series. If you’ve been paying attention to Twilight in the West, you may have noticed that it’s incredibly popular with young adults (mostly young women) while critics have panned the books for simple language, uncomplicated plots and an idealized, simplified depiction of romance. Well, that’s exactly what the light novel market in Japan looks for, so the books fit right in with the competition.

Would you rather have long books broken up into smaller chapters so they’re easier to carry around (and you wind up paying more in the end)? Do you like your novels to provide escapism or do you prefer something that engages your mind a bit more? Do you have any favorite Japanese light novels? (Some light novels have been published in English.)

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15
Feb 10

What’s a Jibly?: Traditional Animation Has Never Left Japan

This past December’s theatrical release of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog reminded anyone over the age of 10 that Walt Disney was once a name eponymous with hand-drawn, 2D animation of fantastical stories that awaken children’s imaginations. In the midst of 3D CG movies rife with pop culture references, cheesy plotlines, and stars-of-the-day, The Princess and the Frog promised a return to the company’s roots, the types of movies that Disney is known for worldwide.

Or not. Maybe Disney was onto something when they moved from Beauty and the Beast to Valiant (a 2005 CG movie about British homing pigeons fighting an evil German hawk during World War II if you, like most of the world, never saw it). The Princess and the Frog has earned a respectable $100 million domestically after over two months in release, but it took only a couple of weeks for 20th Century Fox’s “stellar” CG children’s film, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, released shortly thereafter, to earn double that.

The children of America may have been raised to believe that kids’ movies should be CG, crude and generally forgettable, but in Japan, CG has yet to appear in more than a handful of animated films and when it does, it rarely plays more of a role than it does in live action special effects flicks here: to paint the background of a world and make action sequences stand out.

Japan gets and loves Disney films (as the two Disney theme parks in Tokyo can attest), but they also have their own answer to Disney: Studio Ghibli and, when one of the studio heads himself chooses to direct, Miyazaki Hayao. Miyazaki and his co-heads, director Takahata Isao and producer Suzuki Toshio, have animation careers that date back to the 1960s. Miyazaki in particularly made his mark at Toei Animation, another essential staple in the folds of Japanese animation that still produces work today. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the founders of Ghibli worked on two animated films together, one of which, Kaze no Tani no Nausicäa (US title: Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind), remains a veritable classic of Japanese animation today.

After Nausicäa, Miyazaki, Takahata, and Suzuki formed Studio Ghibli and released their first film under the studio’s official title, 1986’s Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa (US: Castle in the Sky). Fifteen award-winning films have followed this award-winning start to the Studio Ghibli tradition: break box office records in Japan and entertain and delight adults as much as children.

A little longer and perhaps slightly less action-oriented than their American animated film counterparts, the Studio Ghibli offerings usually follow the story of a young girl or boy (girls tend to appear more often than boys) who face spiritual, fantastical and compelling adventures as they learn to understand the importance of their friends, their family, and even the planet. There are definitely exceptions to the magic and fantastical—1988’s Hotaru no Haka (US: Grave of the Fireflies) comes to mind, as it deals with a young boy and his even younger sister who must deal with tragedy and survival after they lose the rest of their family to bombings in World War II—and exceptions to the young boy and girl protagonists—how about 1992’s Kurenai no Buta (US: Porco Rosso), which followed a Humphrey Bogart-esque Italian humanoid pig’s career as a World War I fighter pilot?—but the films always deliver on epic, thought-provoking themes that encourage children to dream and think about the world around them.

The folks at Disney know that Studio Ghibli films are something special, as current head of the animation department at Disney John Lasseter made it his mission to bring as many of the Studio Ghibli films to an English-speaking audience as possible—and uncut, at that. It was thanks to Disney’s international release of 2001’s Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (US: Spirited Away) that the film got enough exposure to win an Academy Award for best animated film, a first for Japanese animation.

While Disney has been going the way of CG, never has it been easier to get your hands on Studio Ghibli films in America. If you’ve grown up from jokes about passing gas and fish with cell phones in your animated films, try a Studio Ghibli film and take a peek at the kind of quality animation that’s been around in Japan for decades—the kind that won’t buck to current trends and yet, makes a huge impact on the nation regardless.

What are some of your favorite Studio Ghibli films? Do you find Studio Ghibli films more or less entertaining than Disney films?