One of the things that technology brought to us, author Roland Kelts said, is the speed at which cultures collide with, interact, and influence each other. “Kids can upload the latest anime shows released in Japan within hours on the Internet.”
He was talking about the convergence of Japanese and American pop cultures. Gathered in front of him were various media representatives and business people for a reading of his book, Japanamerica. Last weekend’s reading, at City University in Bellevue, was sponsored by Elliot Bay Books and the Japan-America Society, and the crowd seemed intrigued. Entranced, even, as Kelts rapid-talked in his deep, smooth voice about many examples of his thesis: comparing Pokemon to Shinto animism, Otomo anime features to Kubrick’s masterpieces (both are influenced by Noh, a traditional art form known for its use of silence, he says), and punk music to manga. He talked about games and toy industry, films, music, and of course, sushi.
On that topic, he quotes a Manhatttan speed dater: “If you can’t or won’t eat sushi — don’t even think about getting a date in NYC.”
Maybe a bit tiring of a topic, this Japan thing. But then, there’s something new afoot, Kelts argues, and it looks like a piece of twisted paper ring, known as Mobius’s strip.
What we thought was Japan is rapidly becoming more American, and America is morphing into Asia, through its youth culture. Nigo, an enormously popular hipster designer, who has shops in Soho and Carnaby, lifted his aesthetics directly from hip-hop youth culture of Bronx, circa 1980 and merged with Japanese ‘kawaii’ sensibility (albeit very cynically). Or a novelist Haruki Murakami, whose work was enormously popular in Japan but was also heavily criticized for being too “Americanized”, is currently the most popular Japanese novelist in America. They are a few of many examples of this hybrid culture that’s emerging somewhere between the two biggest world economies and their bratty, wealthy youth.
Don’t believe me? There is one more perfect example of this happening in our front yard. Sakura Con is a “the first and largest Japanese animation convention in the Northwest.” There will be music, there will be anime showings, and there will be a bunch of people in costume. And, contrary to the stereotype, increasing number of attendees are what you call normal, well-adjusted red-blooded American youth, who’re connected with a shared passion for Japanese anime art form. If your picture of Japan is still of serene temples in the mountains or skyscrapers rammed against one another in super-urban Tokyo, or if your idea of American youth is tied to just MTV, Nike and Apple, you might want to reshuffle your ideas a little by checking this event out.
Design Kompany will be there, checking out the latest manga culture imported to America and joining the fun. Because as designers who grew up in two places, something about this emerging culture resonates with us. And, if you are a business selling services or products in the next five or ten years, you had better be ready to embrace this emerging international trend.
Sakura-Con 2007
Friday, April 6 to Sunday, April 8
Washington State Convention and Trade Center
I just love Japanese Anime. Interesting article and thanks for the post.
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