The
Japanese entertainment industry is one of the worlds largest and most unique. There is a large variety of music and films,
as well as a huge animation industry. The most popular styles come from artists
who draw from traditional artistic and literary traditions. This creates an industry
which not only reflects the attitudes and society of today but also provides a
link to the traditions of the past.
The
ever-changing pop culture scene in Japan is similar to that of most first-world
countries: full of movies, music, and internet sensations. Teenagers go to the movie theatres, listen to
the radio, and watch television in their free time. In addition, malls and shopping centers are
prevalent. Game centers, bowling alleys,
and karaoke parlors are also ways that the citizens of Japan can have fun when
they have spending money. Currently, the
most popular movies in Japan are ‘Outrage Beyond’, ‘Until the Break of Dawn’,
and ‘The Mystical Laws’. Some of the
popular songs in Japan today include ‘Ecstasy’ by Kumi Koda, and ‘Tanabata
Matsuri’ by Tegomass.
Since
the entertainment industry is so big, it is in turn very influential to the
rest of the world. This effect is similar to the United States’ popular culture
impact on other countries, which can be seen in movies such as Slumdog Millionaire. Not surprisingly, American culture has a
profound influence on Japan’s entertainment industry. Currently, American artists such as Katy
Perry, Greenday, The Black Eyed Peas, and Beyonce can all be found on the
Japanese Top 20 music charts. Although
the United States’ industry is usually the one doing the influencing, recently,
parts of Japan’s pop culture has taken over the United States. One prime example of this recent occurrence is
Japanese rapper Psy’s hit song “Gangnam Style”. The song has hit the US shores
with authority, taking over the #1 spot on Billboard’s Rap chart (http://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song#/charts/rap-song). Another aspect of Japanese culture that has
had a huge impact on the rest of the world is the cartoon animation industry
known as anime. Sold in forms of comic
books, movies, and television shows, it is the most powerful aspect of pop
culture in Japan. However, it also has a
huge foothold in other countries. In the
United States alone, the anime industry is worth about $4.35 billion, according
to the Japan External Trade Organization.
Not
only is anime very popular in other countries, it is even bigger in Japan where
it originated. Anime has been a part of
Japanese pop culture 1917, and has been developed by artists within the country
ever since then. The art form can be
produced by being both hand-drawn and computer-generated. Popular forms of distribution include television
series, movies, video games, comic books, and internet-releases. Anime is one way that artists combine the
contemporary styles of today while providing links to the traditions of the
past. One of the most popular anime
series’ in Japanese history, called Naruto, is about a young ninja seeking
recognition from his village as being the strongest and leader of them
all. In empirical Japan, these leaders
of villages and commanders of forces were known as shoguns. The fact that the pop culture in Japan still values hierarchies
that were present in the 1600’s is incredible.
Psy's #1 Hit 'Gangnam Style'
I really enjoyed reading this blog because the song, "Gangnam Style" is a personal favorite recently. It's very interesting to me that the artists popular in the United States are also popular in other countries that don't even speak English. Personally, I usually do not like listening to music that is not in English because I don't know what is being said. Also, our movies are very popular in other countries, but I know I would never go watch a Chinese film. It always makes me wonder why the United States has such a huge hit in its movies, songs, etc. in other countries, yet we Americans rarely watch videos or listen to music from other countries. Also, the culture and interests in China and other countries are so different from that of the United States I would think that they would be uninterested or even offended sometimes but content in our movies and songs. Something I found very interesting what that according to this article, http://www.globalization101.org/pop-culture/, the United States entertainment industry makes more revenue from overseas sales than any other industry. I wonder if any other country is going to one day be the leader in the industry instead of the United States.
ReplyDeleteThis post is very interesting because it poses a question in my mind: is it easier for foreign countries to influence the United States or the United States to influence other countries. I think it is intriguing that many other countries know English as a second language, or at least basic English. However, Americans do not know even a tiny bit of the Japanese language, or even culture. In a Hollywood Reporter article, it was said that, "the industry now faces the challenge of becoming more international and increasing its overseas presence even as dwindling numbers of Japanese youth are less in thrall to all things foreign." Do you think the United States entertainment industry has more influence or affects in Japan, than Japan has on the United States? The article from the Hollywood Reporter can be found at http://bit.ly/V0Hmmi
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ReplyDeleteI personally am a huge fan of the Japanese entertainment industry. Some really great Hollywood movies draw their inspiration from Japanese movies. Examples of this include The Ring, The Departed,and The Grudge. I also am a huge fan of anime, I watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, and started cowboy bebop recently. It is very interesting to see how different cultures influence the entertainment industry and how these industries change and respond to these influences. I absolutely love anime because the art style is very visually pleasing. I think the Japanese entertainment has indirect influences on different entertainment industries. For example once Hollywood draws inspiration from Japanese movies, five other industries look to Hollywood for inspiration. The coolest thing I have learned from this is how old anime is.
ReplyDeleteI thought Psy was a Korean rapper, rapping about Gangnam Style (posh style found in Seoul, South Korean). So I guess this is not an example of Japanese pop culture but actually Korean Pop culture A.K.A. K-Pop.
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