Japan is an island nation replete with densely populated cities, the power of ancient Imperialism still looming large, thousands of temples and shrines, mountains, volcanoes, samurais and more. For some time, Japan was a powerful empire backed by her military and industrial strength.Like all things in the world, the empire withered over time and, for various reasons. But that did not stop the country from retaining its powers. The country simply shifted its gaze on the world horizon from military and industrialization to something far more potent than economics and arms; popular culture. Its territorial powers are now evident in almost living room through the television, and in everyone's ears through their headphones.Look at the way icons from popular Japanese culture have invaded the western world. Right from movies to manga to highly entertaining and popular cartoon characters to music to anime; Japanese pop culture has contributed significantly to the world pop culture, especially the western world.And it is not just western kids who are fascinated by the popular culture offered by Japan. Many of the anime series of Japanese pop culture are aimed as much at adults as at children. Gory, violent, and yet gripping, only Japan's creative minds can convert comics or manga written in their language into something that adults would get addicted to.This book traces the history of Japanese pop culture through the following elements: movies, TV shows, anime and manga; and their impact on the Western World.

Dive with me into the colorful and diverse world of Japanese pop culture that inspires millions of people around the world. With my latest book "From Anime to Yumi Kawaii - A look behind the scenes of Japanese pop culture" you will gain a profound insight into the unique fashion trends and the rousing music of J-Pop. This book offers you a comprehensive overview of the diversity and influence of Japanese pop culture on the Western world. From manga and anime to J-Pop and cosplay to adaptations in film and literature - this book reveals the profound influences and the worldwide enthusiasm for everything Japanese. Experience the magic of anime and manga, learn the secrets of cosplay and J-Pop. But also discover the dark side of this fascinating world of imagination and innovation. Understand how Japanese aesthetics influence global trends. This book is a must-have for lovers of Japanese pop culture, for travelers, students and anyone who is curious about the creative trends and cultural treasures of Japan. Join me on an exciting excursion through the land of the rising sun. Whether you are a die-hard otaku, a passionate cosplayer or simply looking for new cultural discoveries - this book is your ultimate companion. Get exclusive insights, exciting background information and learn how Japan's pop culture has conquered the world. Discover the soul of modern Japan and its pop culture! "From Anime to Yumi Kawaii - A look behind the scenes of Japanese pop culture" offers those interested a profound insight into a fascinating world of manga and anime, J-Pop and their origins in traditional art forms. Immerse yourself in the colorful worlds of Studio Ghibli. Follow me into a world full of colors, creativity and uniqueness. Visit Tokyo's dazzling cosplay centers and maid cafes, look behind the scenes of Naruto and Dragonball, and explore not only the diverse fascination but also their effects on Japanese society. With gripping insights, this book takes you on a cultural excursion through modern Japan and its dazzling pop culture. For adventurers, artists, lovers and anyone who wants to discover the magic and mysticism of modern Japanese culture, this book offers you a multi-layered guide. With this book you will discover the infinite variety of Japanese pop culture - a must for anyone interested in the beauty and influence of Japan on the contemporary world. Ready for an adventure? Then dive in and experience Japan like never before! Yours, Hermann Candahashi

Created specifically for fans of Japanese "cool culture," A Geek in Japan is one of the most iconic, hip, and concise cultural guides available. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded with new chapters on Japanese video games, architecture, and a special section on visiting Kyoto. Reinvented for the internet age, it's packed with personal essays and hundreds of photographs, presenting all the touchstones of both traditional and contemporary culture in an entirely new way. The expansive range of topics include: Bushido, Geisha, Samurai, Shintoism, and Buddhism Traditional arts and disciplines like Ukiyo-e, Ikebana, Zen meditation, calligraphy, martial arts, and the tea ceremony Insightful essays on code words and social mores; dating and drinking rituals; working and living conditions and symbols and practices that are peculiarly Japanese Japanese pop culture genres and their subcultures, like otaku, gals, visual kei, and cosplay For visitors, the author includes a mini guide to his favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo as well as tips on special places of interest in other parts of Japan. Garcia has written an irreverent, insightful, and highly informative guide for the growing ranks of Japanophiles around the world.

The untold story of how Japan became a cultural superpower through the fantastic inventions that captured—and transformed—the world’s imagination. “A masterful book driven by deep research, new insights, and powerful storytelling.”—W. David Marx, author of Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style Japan is the forge of the world’s fantasies: karaoke and the Walkman, manga and anime, Pac-Man and Pokémon, online imageboards and emojis. But as Japan media veteran Matt Alt proves in this brilliant investigation, these novelties did more than entertain. They paved the way for our perplexing modern lives. In the 1970s and ’80s, Japan seemed to exist in some near future, gliding on the superior technology of Sony and Toyota. Then a catastrophic 1990 stock-market crash ushered in the “lost decades” of deep recession and social dysfunction. The end of the boom should have plunged Japan into irrelevance, but that’s precisely when its cultural clout soared—when, once again, Japan got to the future a little ahead of the rest of us. Hello Kitty, the Nintendo Entertainment System, and multimedia empires like Dragon Ball Z were more than marketing hits. Artfully packaged, dangerously cute, and dizzyingly fun, these products gave us new tools for coping with trying times. They also transformed us as we consumed them—connecting as well as isolating us in new ways, opening vistas of imagination and pathways to revolution. Through the stories of an indelible group of artists, geniuses, and oddballs, Pure Invention reveals how Japan’s pop-media complex remade global culture.

Born of Japan's cultural encounter with Western entertainment media, manga (comic books or graphic novels) and anime (animated films) are two of the most universally recognized forms of contemporary mass culture. Because they tell stories through visual imagery, they vault over language barriers. Well suited to electronic transmission and distributed by Japan's globalized culture industry, they have become a powerful force in both the mediascape and the marketplace.This volume brings together an international group of scholars from many specialties to probe the richness and subtleties of these deceptively simple cultural forms. The contributors explore the historical, cultural, sociological, and religious dimensions of manga and anime, and examine specific sub-genres, artists, and stylistics. The book also addresses such topics as spirituality, the use of visual culture by Japanese new religious movements, Japanese Goth, nostalgia and Japanese pop, "cute" (kawali) subculture and comics for girls, and more. With illustrations throughout, it is a rich source for all scholars and fans of manga and anime as well as students of contemporary mass culture or Japanese culture and civilization.

Enjoy the first English children’s picture book on how Japanese animation and comics were created! Amazingly illustrated, this storybook features a bilingual Japanese translation. This is the third adventure in our series on cool inventions created in Asia. The cute red panda Dao makes history come alive by transporting the kids Emma and Ethan back in time. Together they learn how fantastic creations came to be and zip back to the future! This dynamic journey explores the evolution of Japanese animation and comic books. Published in newspapers, magazines, books, and graphic novels, comics became TV shows, movies, and games. These entertainment brought Japanese pop culture across the globe and influenced artists everywhere. This quest features 100 of your favorite characters and creators: from Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy and Rumiko Takahashi’s Ranma 1/2 to Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli and Totoro. Mazinger, Speed Racer, and Doraemon are joined by Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, and Pokémon. Mobile Suit Gundam, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell meet Full Metal Alchelmist, One Piece, and One Punch Man. Iconic and best-selling series are brought to life with the amazing artwork of Juan Calle, an otaku (big fan) himself. Adults and kids can learn about the categories shonen, shojo, and mecha (giant robots), use a handy glossary, and draw inspiration to create their own amazing stories. Teachers and librarians will find this a great addition to their comic book and graphic novel collections. - - - "The Discovery of Anime and Manga bursts from the page with energy and color. Informative and entertaining, it's a beautifully rendered concise introduction to manga and anime for not only children, but comics fans of all ages." - Dr. Dale Jacobs, Department of English, University of Windsor, Canada “In the book we see iconic Japanese anime characters such as Astroboy, Doraemon, Dragon Ball, My Neighbor Totoro, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, One Piece, One Punch Man and more. This makes the book not only fun for children, but also for adults, as they can flip through and remember beloved childhood characters. The story moves along with bright bold illustrations by Juan Calle. Each page is a love letter to manga, making this a delightful read for children and parents.” - Sampan “Brimming with colorful, dynamic illustrations...The Discovery of Anime & Manga is an eye-opening tour.” - Midwest Book Review "I will never forget watching My Neighbor Totoro with my daughter and the worlds that the film ushered in for me. I had never experienced moving images, sounds, pictures, music in quite that way before and the potentials and powers of animated film strongly impacted me as a scholar. It was then that I recognized that animé and manga had the kind of beauty that Susan Sontag described about as ‘a beauty with adjectives, arranged on a scale of ascending value and incorruptibility.’ In Amara and Chin’s The Discovery of Animé and Manga told through stunning illustrations by Calle, they offer a detailed, storied account of the evolution of animé and manga in Japan and eventually around the world. From whimsical drawings in the early twentieth century to kamishibai tales told in on street corners to the ubiquity of adults and children drawing animé and manga embodying otaku in their everyday lives. Everyone should read this history book to get a true understanding about the significance of not just animé and manga, but the power of multimodality on how we think and learn." —Dr. Jennifer Rowsell, Professor of Literacies and Social Innovation, University of Bristol, School of Education

Traveling to Japan has never been so much fun—visit the land of anime, manga, cosplay, hot springs and sushi! This graphic Japan travel guide is the first of its kind exploring Japanese culture from a cartoonist's perspective. Cool Japan Guide takes you on a fun tour from the high-energy urban streets of Tokyo to the peaceful Zen gardens and Shinto shrines of Kyoto and introduces you to: the exciting world of Japanese food—from bento to sushi and everything in between. the otaku (geek) culture of Japan, including a manga market in Tokyo where artists display and sell their original artwork. the complete Japanese shopping experience, from combini (not your run-of-the-mill convenience stores!) to depato (department stores with everything). the world's biggest manga, anime and cosplay festivals. lots of other exciting places to go and things to do—like zen gardens, traditional Japanese arts, and a ride on a Japanese bullet train. Whether you're ready to hop a plane and travel to Japan tomorrow, or interested in Japanese culture, this fun and colorful travelogue by noted comic book artist and food blogger Abby Denson, husband Matt, friend Yuuko, and sidekick, Kitty Sweet Tooth, will present Japan in a unique and fascinating way.