Japanamerica is the first book that directly addresses the American experience with the Japanese pop culture craze--including anime from Hayao Miyazaki's epics to the burgeoning world of hentai, or violent pornographic anime to Haruki Murakami's fiction. Including interviews with the inventor of Pac-man and executives from TokyoPop, GDH, and other major Japanese and American production companies, this book highlights the shared conflicts both countries face as anime and manga become a global form of entertainment and change both the United States and Japan in the process.
Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The influx of Japanese art and fashion into the American cultural mainstream gets an entertaining treatment from Kelts, an essayist and lecturer at the University of Tokyo, who interviewed many of Japan's leading culture gurus over the past three years. Kelts is clearly most interested in the world of anime and manga (from Pokémon to Princess Mononoke), as his readers will most likely be. A primary theme is that of the Japanese paradox: how has such a strictly defined and rigid society produced pop art that is, compared to its American counterparts at least, wildly imaginative and boundary bursting? Kelts's belief is that one directly created the other, that anime and manga's wild and kinetic structures, hyperaddictive apocalyptic story lines and surprisingly emotional content (not to mention sex and violence unheard of in American pop culture) could never flourish in an openly permissive and individualistic society that had not experienced nuclear devastation. Although the book grasps too eagerly at its subject's grander implications, it still effectively conveys the cross-Pacific cultural dissonance. Kelts has a sharp grasp of his subject and is on sure ground when discussing the history of the form, especially the impact of Disney on postwar Japanese animators or the reverential awe in which American animators hold such filmmakers as Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away). (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"[This] tells the incredible story of the way...Japanese entertainment and popular art...continue to grow and draw two very different worlds together."--Pete Townshend, The Who
"Embrace the world of otaku in Roland Kelts' comprehensive study of how Japanese pop culture enchanted the West, from Speed Racer and Pokémon to cosplay and hentai manga."--Wired
"If you wish to understand the nuances of otaku-dom, or are just hentai-curious, Japanamerica is a broad primer" --The Village Voice
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More About the Author
Roland Kelts, half-Japanese American writer, editor and lecturer, lives half of each year in Tokyo and New York. He is the author of "Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US," writes about contemporary Japan for several publications in the US and Japan, and is a frequent commentator on Japan for National Public Radio and the BBC. His forthcoming novel is called "Access."
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Alex Carson
Format:Hardcover
I read this book after a Village Voice critic called it "a Wired Magazine article on steroids," and Ain't It Cool News said that it was "an imperative resource." Then Bookforum called it "an amazing ride," and The Boston Globe raved.
Then: Even Pete Townshend of The Who endorsed it!
I am skeptical of books trying to capitalize on trends, and very skeptical of books on Japan. But the chorus of praise from so many different voices was enough for me.
This book is written in lucid, carefully crafted prose--telling you everything you need to know about transcultural entertainment and the psychological and spiritual traumas embedded in pop culture, and also precisely what makes Japan so sexy to Westerners in the 21st Century. It is also hip and smart, and very accessible. I only wished it were longer.
The author is no geek, but a writer of considerable talent and range. Get Japanamericaa now.
Then: Even Pete Townshend of The Who endorsed it!
I am skeptical of books trying to capitalize on trends, and very skeptical of books on Japan. But the chorus of praise from so many different voices was enough for me.
This book is written in lucid, carefully crafted prose--telling you everything you need to know about transcultural entertainment and the psychological and spiritual traumas embedded in pop culture, and also precisely what makes Japan so sexy to Westerners in the 21st Century. It is also hip and smart, and very accessible. I only wished it were longer.
The author is no geek, but a writer of considerable talent and range. Get Japanamericaa now.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book after seeing the author speak at the 2009 anime festival in Seattle. He has a significant and enlightening story to tell about the emergence of anime and manga in America. He describes how the American version is distinct from the original, and which personalities made it what it is today.
I found the first half fascinating, the next quarter interesting, and the final quarter of the book difficult to digest and even harder to gain much credence. Personally, I think anime is what it is, and where it goes next cannot be predicted. By the end, I also thought, for all its elegance and fascination, anime is more attitude than it is substance.
Nevertheless, this major cultural movement defies casual inspection, and this book is an excellent guide for the inquisitive.
I found the first half fascinating, the next quarter interesting, and the final quarter of the book difficult to digest and even harder to gain much credence. Personally, I think anime is what it is, and where it goes next cannot be predicted. By the end, I also thought, for all its elegance and fascination, anime is more attitude than it is substance.
Nevertheless, this major cultural movement defies casual inspection, and this book is an excellent guide for the inquisitive.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
These are heady days for anime and manga as they occupy the mainstream spotlight. Japanophilia is on the rise. But how could a very singular culture (anime and manga riding the cultural tsunami wave) explode into an American phenomenon? Even the Japanese seem to be dumb founded.
Roland Kelts topical book _Japanamerica_ provides that answer. Clocking in at 223 pages (HC) it's a cultural treatise on steroids. _Japanamerica_ provides an intimate insider's look and overturns some long held myths. Highly recommended for the otaku and non-otaku alike.
Being a huge fan of anime, manga and all things Japanese for a long time, I loved this book!
A bibliography for the curious would have been useful.
Here's hoping for a sequel on the "world-wide" effects of Japanese pop culture.
Roland Kelts topical book _Japanamerica_ provides that answer. Clocking in at 223 pages (HC) it's a cultural treatise on steroids. _Japanamerica_ provides an intimate insider's look and overturns some long held myths. Highly recommended for the otaku and non-otaku alike.
Being a huge fan of anime, manga and all things Japanese for a long time, I loved this book!
A bibliography for the curious would have been useful.
Here's hoping for a sequel on the "world-wide" effects of Japanese pop culture.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't miss Japanamerica
I loved Japanamerica. Very interesting topic to be sure--but more than that, Kelts has a voice that knows how to tell a story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alexandra D. Rhodes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hits on all the critical points
Pretty good summary on cultural shifts from Japan to America. As a Singaporean, the most Westernized country in Asia, I'll say most of it is true. Read more
Published 10 months ago by K. K. Goh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Purchase!!
There's not much to write about, this book was for a class and it served me well. It was in great condition and the shipping was really fast. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Beaubasaur
5.0 out of 5 stars
gets his analysis spot on...for the most part
Although I nearly busted a gut when the author stated "Japan is one of the most efficient and industrious nations on Earth. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Brian Maitland
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some minor flaws, but overall an interesting read
I recently read this book for part of a college course, and even though there are some flaws and errors, it was an interesting read. Read more
Published on May 17, 2011 by Ellen E.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting
I recently read this book for a class on Japanese visual culture, and I must say I was rather surprised and impressed by it. Read more
Published on May 17, 2011 by JAB
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's definitely not the worst book I've ever read.
I recently read this book for a college course on the visual pop culture of Japan and, while it's certainly not an "academic" read, it has its own merits and insights into the... Read more
Published on May 16, 2011 by L. Sanchez
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best, but definitely not the worst
I recently read this book for a college course, as a companion to Susan Napier's "Anime: From Akira to Howl's Moving Castle," a scholarly text that, quite frankly, left much to be... Read more
Published on May 10, 2011 by Melissa
2.0 out of 5 stars
Mediocre at best
The author should have gone with a completely different title. Period. I think there is a lot more to be said about Japanese pop culture than anime, which is the sole focus of this... Read more
Published on December 13, 2010 by Godzillaur
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
This book was interesting, accessible and thoughtful. I have been interested in the american anime culture for several years and am considering academic work on cosplay culture. Read more
Published on October 2, 2010 by J. McGowan
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