Beyond the Male Idol Factory - The Construction of Gender National Ideologies in Japan through

A star-making factory without rival, the Japanese talent agency Johnny''s Jimusho has brought fame to several generations of male stars - singers, actors and performers. Beyond the Male Idol Factory asks what the phenomenon of "Johnny''s Idols" reveals about discourses of masculinity and national identity in contemporary Japan. Examining the pervasive presence of these stars across a wide range of Japanese media, the book explores how Johnny''s Idols act as role models of ideal masculinity and good citizenship as well as entertainers. Taking a wide-ranging cultural studies approach, the book assesses the social, economic and demographic contexts of these familiar stars in post-industrial and post-Bubble Japanese society.

Product details

• Authors: Yunuen Ysela Mandujano-Salazar
• Assisted by: Sean Redmond (Editor), Jian Xu (Editor)
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 01.06.2026
• EAN: 9781350359826
• ISBN: 978-1-350-35982-6
• No. of pages: 176
• Series: Asian Celebrity and Fandom Studies
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Theatre, ballet; Japan, Media Studies, Popular Culture, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Men's Studies, Gender studies, gender groups, Cultural and media studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / Asian Studies, Japan; Idol; Celebrity; fandom