A few days ago NPR did a show on how Japan is replacing the U.S. as the hub of popular culture. I had not really thought about it like that before, but I agree. In terms of video games, most of the good game developers come from Japan. And many games are released in Japan six months before they get to the U.S. (there are many good games that never reach the U.S. market). Some games I own are based on Japanese anima or manga. My current favorite video game, Okami, is based on Japanese mythology. I have been trying to purchase an illustration book based on Okami's Hokusai-like art work (I have a gigantic poster of Hokusai's "In the Well of the Great Wave of Kanagawa."), but there is not English translation. Last year I found the most detailed model of the X-Wing (from Star Wars) to be made by a Japanese company called Finemolds (they make the most detailed Star Wars models without question). The only problem was that the directions were in Japanese. At one point, I was looking to pay a translater to decipher the directions. Luckily, I found an English translation of most, not all, of the directions (Yes, that is the model I made in the photo). Maybe my next hobby will be to learn Japanese.
2 comments:
I am continually fascinated by the sophistication with which you navigate this gaming world Matt.
This model is yet another example. How did you happen upon this particular game?
As for the hegemony of Japanese popular culture--yea--no question--this is what it means to live in an increasingly flat world isn't it?
I was walking through Borders a few weeks ago, and I noticed the incredible amount of manga and anime. Then last night a pokemon cartoon came on. Since I like food so much, I may as well mention the popularity of sushi too! I've sort of vaguely noticed the increase in Japanese culture, but it is all around us. I think that Eastern influences have been growing for a while now...
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