The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture - Softcover

Schilling, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0834803801 ISBN 13: 9780834803800

Publisher: Shambhala, 1997

Synopsis

In the West, Japanese culture comes in the form of Power Rangers, Godzilla movies, and Sanrio products, but of course the indigenous pop culture is much richer. Rather than focus on what the rest of the world has already encountered, Mark Schilling provides an encyclopedic compendium of books, movies, music, comedians, and cultural scandals that have had the greatest impact in Japan. Thus, for the outsider, The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture is an insider's guide to post-war Japan. Not content to simply catalog his entries, Schilling provides real depth and analysis in his articles, opening up Japan's rich pop heritage to the world at large.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Schilling has a truly encyclopedic grasp of his subject, which allows him to trace the interconnections between one pop phenomenon and another (singers who become actresses who marry writers who become game show hosts who become journalists covering politicians who were once standup comics) and an ear to the ground that picks up on the latest latest. He shares the inside dope entertainingly, while still tracing the complicated genealogies of popmusic dynasties and quoting boxoffice receipts. Heavily illustrated, this completely original book is a reallife introduction to contemporary Japan that shows it as something other than the land of Genji, cherry blossoms, and samurai: a funny, funky world where Hello Kitty reigns alongside Godzilla.

From the Back Cover:

Japanese pop culture is the beta version of twenty-first-century American pop culture. Mark Schilling's encyclopedia is an invaluable guide to a rich but labyrinthine subject. I use it not to look up what I don't know, but to find out what I should know. Roger Ebert A cornucopia turned upside-down, this fascinating book defines New Japan through its pop culture -everything from pachinko to Tora-san, from instant ramen to Godzilla. -Donald Richie

About this edition

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0834803801
• ISBN 13: 9780834803800
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344