Language and Popular Culture in Japan

When this book was originally published it was the first work of its kind to examine the way in which language is used to express the 'myth' of advertising slogans and other popular cultural forms. By making use of general theories from the disciplines of anthropology, linguistics, media studies and semiotics, the book attempts to demystify Japanese culture as it has been hitherto presented in the West, and shows how such cultural forms as 'noodle westerns' and high-school baseball uphold the well-known ideologies of 'selflessness', 'diligence', 'compliance' and 'co-operation' typically associated with the Japanese. Ultimately, the book poses the question: are those whom we call the Japanese 'real' people in their own right, or merely a nation acting out a part written for them by Western civilisation?

List of contents

1. Speak Japan, Japanspeak 2. Wine, Language and Song 3. Modern Romantic my Plan Travel 4. Keywords and the Japanese Spirit 5.Negotiating Aesthetics 6. Californian Car-lore 7. The Poetics of Advertising 8. The Media Mosaic 9. The Sounds of Cultural Discourse 10.The Good, the Bad and the Noodle Western 11. Jidaigeki, Yakuza and ‘Eroduction’ Films. Conclusion: Japanese Orientalism. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.

About the author

Brian Moeran

Summary

When this book was originally published it was the first work of its kind to examine the way in which language is used to express the ‘myth’ of advertising slogans and other popular cultural forms. By making use of general theories from the disciplines of anthropology, linguistics, media studies and semiotics, the book attempts to demystify Japanese culture as it has been hitherto presented in the West, and shows how such cultural forms as ‘noodle westerns’ and high-school baseball uphold the well-known ideologies of ‘selflessness’, ‘diligence’, ‘compliance’ and ‘co-operation’ typically associated with the Japanese. Ultimately, the book poses the question: are those whom we call the Japanese ‘real’ people in their own right, or merely a nation acting out a part written for them by Western civilisation?

Product details

• Authors: Brian Moeran, Brian (Universities of Hong Kong At Exeter Moeran, Moeran Brian
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 27.02.2013
• EAN: 9780415845557
• ISBN: 978-0-415-84555-7
• No. of pages: 196
• Series: Routledge Library Editions: Japan; Routledge Library Editions: Japan
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Non-fiction book > Dictionaries, reference works > Dictionaries, encyclopaedias; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Japan, Sociology, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Regional Studies, REFERENCE / General, Society & culture: general, Regional Studies, Regional / International studies, Society and culture: general, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General