Geeky-Girly Innovation: A Japanese Subculturalist's Guide to Technology and Design [Hardcover]

Morinosuke Kawaguchi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 24, 2012 | ISBN-10: 1611720028 | ISBN-13: 978-1611720020

Analyzing everything from super-toilets to cute character stationery goods, from Kabuki to manga and anime, from bikes to robots, this visionary book by a leading Japanese strategy expert supplies a road map for the future of international technology and design. The Japanese have leveraged the childlike, feminine, cute aspects of their otaku (geek) culture into top-tier products for world markets. What does this mean for the human/object interface? How can we personalize and pleasurize design? The answers may lie in our entertainments, innocence, and obsessions.

Morinosuke Kawaguchi is principal associate director for Arthur D. Little (Japan) and lectures at Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Morinosuke Kawaguchi: Principal, Associate Director for Arthur D. Little (Japan), Inc.

Morinosuke Kawaguchi is also a lecturer in the postgraduate program at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. His approach to Japanese subculture and how it creates an advantage in R&D has made him very popular in Japan.

Mr. Kawaguchi is renowned as a strategy expert in Management of Technology (MOT), intellectual property management (IPM) and also technology & innovation management (TIM) in various industries such as telecommunications, electronics and the car industry. In Japan, he is considered the inventor of a new concept in product engineering and technology development that draws from Japanese culture, especially from the concepts of monozukuri and otaku subcultures.

He is a bilingual lecturer on this topic and has appeared on several Japanese radio and TV shows. Mr. Kawaguchi writes regularly on Japanese technology development, creating a bridge between the hard-boiled industry and creative subculture.

Kawaguchi is often in the Japanese media, both as commentator on Japanese TV and radio and as an interviewee for magazines.

TEDxTokyo Toilet Talk: His TEDxTokyo Toilet Talk in May 2010, had 184,111 views on Yahoo Japan in three days and another 60,000 on YouTube so far.
http://tedxtokyo.com/tedxtokyo-2010/program/morinosuke-kawaguchi/

O’Reilly’s E-Tech Emerging Technology Forum in San Jose: 2009.3.11, video guest speaker
http://en.oreilly.com/et2009/public/content/home Wikipedia:

Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morinosuke_Kawaguchi

YouTube: JapanTechLessons
http://www.youtube.com/user/JapanTechLessons

Blogs by fans:http://subcultureengineering.wordpress.com/

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press (July 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1611720028
• ISBN-13: 978-1611720020
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,034,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful little book September 18, 2012

By Kristen Nicole

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

During my first trip to Japan I fell in love with the culture, products, cityscape, urban planning...everything. When I returned home to Chicago I found it difficult to gain information and access to the things about Japan I loved so I was happy when I came across this book. It takes a product specialist perspective on the history & culture of Japanese products, emphasizing their strengths in an increasingly global market. It was an easy, short read but very useful.