Cool Japan: Inside Japan's Cultural and Creative Industries

Cool Japan: Inside Japan's Cultural and Creative Industries

Step inside the world of Japanese popular and traditional culture, where J-pop music producers, manga artists, anime and video game creators, idols, fashion designers, comedians, tea and sake makers, sumo wrestlers, and businesspeople create the products and enjoyment that have made Japan a “cultural superpower” and become part of the daily lives of people around the world. Following up on the popular first edition of Cool Japan (2017), this second edition updates all of the original chapters and adds two new chapters on manga and Japanese comedy. Readers not only learn about various genres of Japanese culture—some familiar, some less so—they also follow Japan’s creators as they wrestle with the cultural and business challenges that come with competing in a globalized and fast-changing world. Extensively researched and rich in detail, Cool Japan is engaging and eye-opening reading for anyone with an interest in Japan. It is also ideal for use in school or university classrooms, in courses on Japan, popular culture, or business. Cool Japan is an extraordinary history and chronicle of modern Japanese pop culture, including the corporations for whom pop entertainment is big business (think the Square-Enix merger that rocked the world of role-playing games) and notable creators. Extensive data, charts, and graphs complement the historical reconstruction peppered with anecdotes. Cool Japan is a "must-read" for connoisseurs of Japanese entertainment, highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Cool Japan is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99). - Midwest Book Review Tim Craig's book is a very helpful addition in bringing together both the cultural and the economic dimensions of products of Japan's traditional and popular culture. - Contemporary Japan