Reading the Air,

Writing with Thumbs:

Introducing Students to
Contemporary Japanese
Youth Culture

Jennifer Murawski
Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET)
Program Participant, 2005-2007
April 19, 2008
Integrating Culture and
Language Learning
• Why do students choose to
study Japanese?
– What do students already know
about Japan?

• What do students want to know

more about?
– What would students find
interesting about Japan?
 What do students already
know and like about Japan?
Big in the USA?
• The U.S. market for Japanese
animation is currently worth
approximately $4.35 billion
according to the Japan External
Trade Organization.
- Wall Street Journal, August 31, 2007

• Japanese comic books routinely

appear on New York Times and USA
Today Bestseller lists.
• In April 2007, one volume of the girl’s manga
Fruits Basket was the 15th best-selling book
in the United States.
 Big in Japan?
• Where do US teens receive
information about Japan?

• How does this information differ

from what Japanese teenagers
perceive to be popular?

Photo by Lou
Current Trends in
Japanese Pop
Culture

Photo by Speedwaystar
 Keitai Culture
• Advances in cell phone
technology
• Cheaper data packet transmission
rates than USA = frequent use of
internet applications

• Creating personal
space in a crowded nation
• Personalized accessories
and services create new
markets
 Foreign TV & Movies
• Korean dramas and action movies
– Since Fuyu no Sonata (2004), Korean media and
celebrities have been extremely popular in Japan

• US television
– Extremely popular
imports include 24,
Heroes, Lost, and Full
House
– DVD market has led
sales of these properties
Thumb Novels ( 携帯小説）
“Of last year’s 10 bestselling
novels, five were originally
cell phone novels, mostly
love stories written in the short
sentences characteristic of
text messaging..”
• New York Times, January 20, 2008
New Technology = New Vocabulary
KY 語
•

– Ongoing trend in internet slang

– Popular with youth as well as media

• What does “KY” stand for?

– 空気が読めない
Kuuki ga Yomenai, a
popular phrase meaning
“to be clueless” (i.e. one
who can’t pick up
unspoken social cues)
 KY 語 Dictionary
• Format: Abbreviated romaji phrases
Common expressions
– JK = Joshi Kousei 女子高生
• GHQ (Go Home Quickly)
•

– Newly invented phrases

• IT (Ice Taberu) アイス食べる

• 3M (Maji de Mou Muri) マジでもう無理
• WK (White Kick = 白 [white] + 蹴る [kick]) 　
白ける
 Sports Life
• Little change in the sports and
club culture at schools
• Many boys still dream of making it
to Kōshien Stadium for the
national baseball championships
• First appearance
of MLB players
Hideki Matsui and
Daisuke Matsuzaka

Photo by Chris Chang

 Street Fashion
• Boys and men are just as much
into fashion as the women are,
particularly in large cities
– “Young males between the ages of
18 and 30 make up the slimmest
segment of the population and the
ideal fashion weight as decreed by
the apparel industry is …about 125
pounds, for a height of …5 feet 8
inches. Many men try to adhere to
that figure and some claim they want Photo by Excite Snap

to be even skinnier.”
• International Herald Tribune
November 11, 2007
The Cult of Cute
• Japan’s national
obsession with
cuteness
• Goes beyond Hello
Kitty
• Huge market for
consumer goods and Photo by Mike J. Zitek

fashion that might be

considered cutesy or
childish in the United
States

Photo by Saya M.
Where to Find
Resources on
Contemporary
Youth Culture
Language Resources
• Rikai and Rikaichan
– http://www.rikai.com/perl/Home.pl
– http://www.polarcloud.com/rikaichan
• Inserts furigana and definitions (in
English) when the mouse moves
over a word written in Japanese
text on any website.
 Informative Links
• Japan Probe (English)
– http://www.japanprobe.com/
• The best website to keep up with
current news, trends, culture,
curiosities, fashion, and more
• Updated very frequently
• Web Japan (English)
– http://web-japan.org/
• Education-oriented site with facts,
trends, geography, an up-to-date
children’s section and magazine
 Informative Links
• What Japan Thinks (English)
– http://whatjapanthinks.com/
• Translated opinion polls from a
variety of Japanese magazines and
news sources
• Updated very frequently
• Appeals to older students as well
Entertainment & Culture
• Anime News Network (English)
– http://www.animenewsnetwork.com
• News, reviews, and information
about anime and manga releases
• Oricon Style (Japanese)
– http://www.oricon.co.jp/
• Weekly ranking charts for music
and TV shows/movies
• Information about performers
Celebrities & “Talent”
• Who are the Paris Hiltons and Bob
Barkers of Japan (and why does it matter)?

• List of Japanese Celebrities

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Japanese_celebrities

Images by miyunepapa - http://star.nigaoes.com/nigaoe01/

 Social Networking
• mixi ( ミクシィ ) (Japanese)
– http://mixi.jp
• MySpace / Facebook
• Find Japanese penpals
• Practice casual Japanese writing
forms
• Find communities related to one’s
interests
Entertainment & Culture
• YouTube / YouTube Japan
– http://www.youtube.com
• Countless videos to introduce
students to Japanese pop
culture, music, TV, commercials,
and more
– http://jp.youtube.com
• Japanese language version of
YouTube
– Supports Japanese text
input, all menus and text in
Japanese
 YouTube Clips
– 　日本の形：すし
– Mockumentary featuring Japanese
comedy group “Rahmens”

– 　 Apple CM: I-Life

– Japanese version of Apple’s
popular “I’m a Mac” ads
– ジェロ： 黒 人演歌歌手
– 2003 University of Pittsburgh
graduate
Guide to Finding Media
• Available on YouTube
– 日本の形 / The Japanese Tradition
• A series of mock documentary clips
by comedy group Rahmenz
parodying aspects of Japanese
culture, some subtitled in English.
–Sushi (s), Chopsticks (s),
Origami (s), Apologies (s),
Dogeza, Summer Vacation
Guide to Finding Media
• TV in Japan
• http://tvinjapan.com/blog/
– Frequently updated, features
clips of interesting, popular, or
bizarre Japanese TV programs.

– Goldmine for video clips, such

as performances from the
All-Japan Kasou Taishou,
Pythagoras Switch, and other
popular or interesting shows
“Matrix Ping Pong”
Guide to Finding Media
• D-Addicts
– http://www.d-addicts.com
• Information wiki, links, and
discussion about J-drama new
and old
• Mysoju
– http://www.mysoju.com/
• Contains links to full TV episodes
hosted on YouTube, MySpace
Video, and other media sites.
Recommended Dramas
• High School

– 野ブタ。をプロデュース Nobuta.
wo Produce (2005)

– ごくせん 1 & 2
Gokusen (2003)

– グレート ティーチャー オニヅカ

Great Teacher Onizuka (1998)

– My Boss « MM He ro
(2006)
Recommended Dramas
College
• のだめカンタービレ
Nodame Cantabile (2006)

Family friendly
• 電車男
Densha Otoko (2005)

• ちびまる子ちゃん
Chibi Maruko-chan (2006)

• 暴れん坊将軍
Abarenbō Shōgun (1978-2003)
 Anime & Manga
• TV Asahi Top 100 Anime
– Voted on in a nationwide survey
of multiple age groups conducted
in 2005
• Japan Media Arts Festival Top 10 A
– 80,000 votes cast to determine
the best anime and manga ever
made
• Video Research, Ltd.
– Weekly television ratings
 Interested?
Download this Powerpoint presentation at
http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/asc/japantrends.ppt

View all links at http://del.icio.us/popjapan

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