Roland Kelts's Blog, page 79
December 17, 2010
Maids + Cafes + Trains = What?
They are not your average train ticket inspectors. Picture a bevy of young ladies dressed in flouncy blue and white dresses, accessorised with over-the-knee socks, pretty hair bows and undimmable million-watt smiles.Welcome to Japan's latest eyebrow-raising innovation – a "maid café" train where passengers are "served" by a clutch of pretty all-singing, all-dancing and all-adoring female train staff.The popularity of Japanese maid cafés has been well documented over the past decade: primarily located in Tokyo's subculture hubs such as Akihabara and Ikebukuro, they involve young women in maid outfits (often dubbed modern day geisha) innocently serving tea and cakes to manga and anime loving customers.Last weekend, the Seibu Railway Group installed a "maid café" on board its limited express Red Arrow train operating between Ikebukuro and Chichibu, a stretch of track renowned as home to a number of high-profile animation companies.Nine maids recruited from Akihabara's maid café district will tend to passengers on board by serving drinks, playing games and taking turns to make tannnoy announcements.The cartoon-like selection of maids on board include Shoko Suzumiya, who says she has "increased motivation whenever she puts on a maid uniform". Then there is Kira Hoshino, who derives pleasure in "soothing and instilling vigor in people", not to mention Chuchu Amakusa, who likes to "give people nice warm feelings".And their ages? All maids are forever 17, says a spokesman for Seibu, seemingly with a straight face. Describing the reason behind the launch, he adds: "This train is a sort of theme park inspired by the world of anime and games."Never mind maid lovers, its arrival is also likely to be welcomed by the government, which is increasingly keen to tap into the growing popularity of Japanese subculture trends overseas and boost export of domestic anime, manga and gaming.It seems likely that the new train will open up the world of maid cafés to a wider audience, not least because it combines two of Japan's biggest "otaku" geek obsessions – trains and maids."It's important to note that it runs on a route that has become increasingly obscure and disused in recent years and its operators are naturally desperate to attract riders to the line," says Roland Kelts, author of Japanamerica and visiting scholar at the University of Tokyo."But the convergence of trains and maid cafés makes a lot of sense as [a way of] attracting a sizeable population of "otaku", or obsessive fans."Whatever the reason, ticket inspectors in many cities around the world could well learn a thing or two from the ever-smiling and friendly demeanour of their Japanese maid counterparts. But the flouncy maid outfits? They can perhaps stay in Japan.They are not your average train ticket inspectors. Picture a bevy of young ladies dressed in flouncy blue and white dresses, accessorised with over-the-knee socks, pretty hair bows and undimmable million-watt smiles.
Welcome to Japan's latest eyebrow-raising innovation – a "maid café" train where passengers are "served" by a clutch of pretty all-singing, all-dancing and all-adoring female train staff.
The popularity of Japanese maid cafés has been well documented over the past decade: primarily located in Tokyo's subculture hubs such as Akihabara and Ikebukuro, they involve young women in maid outfits (often dubbed modern day geisha) innocently serving tea and cakes to manga and anime loving customers.
Last weekend, the Seibu Railway Group installed a "maid café" on board its limited express Red Arrow train operating between Ikebukuro and Chichibu, a stretch of track renowned as home to a number of high-profile animation companies.
Nine maids recruited from Akihabara's maid café district will tend to passengers on board by serving drinks, playing games and taking turns to make tannnoy announcements.
The cartoon-like selection of maids on board include Shoko Suzumiya, who says she has "increased motivation whenever she puts on a maid uniform". Then there is Kira Hoshino, who derives pleasure in "soothing and instilling vigor in people", not to mention Chuchu Amakusa, who likes to "give people nice warm feelings".
And their ages? All maids are forever 17, says a spokesman for Seibu, seemingly with a straight face. Describing the reason behind the launch, he adds: "This train is a sort of theme park inspired by the world of anime and games."
Never mind maid lovers, its arrival is also likely to be welcomed by the government, which is increasingly keen to tap into the growing popularity of Japanese subculture trends overseas and boost export of domestic anime, manga and gaming.
It seems likely that the new train will open up the world of maid cafés to a wider audience, not least because it combines two of Japan's biggest "otaku" geek obsessions – trains and maids.
Whatever the reason, ticket inspectors in many cities around the world could well learn a thing or two from the ever-smiling and friendly demeanour of their Japanese maid counterparts.
But the flouncy maid outfits? They can perhaps stay in Japan. [More @ Monocle]
December 15, 2010
Cool Japan chilled: Ishihara gets his censorship bill
Earlier today in Tokyo, the Metropolitan Assembly passed the government's revised bill to amend the Youth Healthy Development Ordinance--otherwise known as the "non-existent youth" bill, a story I wrote about While restrictions on sexually stimulating and/or harmful depictions have long been in place, the new revisions specifically target "manga and anime," while exempting real-life photography (explain that one), and focus on materials that may be "disrupting of social order"--much like Ishihara's own taboo-breaking novels and plays, and his more recent nationalist, racist and homophobic blather.
In objection, ten major manga publishers--Kadokawa Shoten, Shueisha, Kodansha, Akita Shoten, Hakusensha, Shogakukan, Shonen Gahousha, Shinchosa, Futubasha and LEED--have vowed to pull their wares from the 2011 Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF), whose executive committee is chaired by Ishihara himself. Rumors are emerging that the action could prompt a cancellation of next year's TAF.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is taking the news seriously enough to post the following commentary on his blog--the first time, I'm told, that the PM has posted in the first-person under his own name:
"There is another topic I would like to talk about concerning [the strength of] the Japanese brand. Currently, there are concerns over the possibility that the Tokyo International Animation Fair could be cancelled due to controversies related to the healthy development of youth issues. Healthy development of youth is an important issue. At the same time, it is important that Japanese animation is broadcast to a global audience. I urge all parties involved to try to work toward preventing a situation where an international animation fair cannot be held within Tokyo." [transl. Dan Kanemitsu; ital. mine]
Per usual, Tokyo-based translator and writer Dan Kanemitsu nails all the ugly details down on his indispensable blog.
December 14, 2010
Norwegian Wood / Noruwei no Mori interview for "The World" from PRI/NPR
My radio chat on the movie and Haruki with Lisa Mullins is here.
December 13, 2010
December 8, 2010
'What's wrong with being #2?' in Adbusters magazine
Japan may be the first nation to opt for a no growth, steady state economy.
Roland Kelts
"what's wrong with being the world's no. 2?"
So said Renhō, the single-monikered and, for a Japanese politician, unusually single-minded 42-year-old female member of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, tapped by Prime Minister Naoto Kan this summer to serve as minister of administrative reform (aka, chief budget-slasher). Renhō uttered the question during a debate late last year on financing a next-generation supercomputer project powerful enough to compete with the US, but her plaintive question resonated far beyond the walls of Japan's Upper House chamber.
By the middle of this year, as the stack of urgent reports concerning Japan's stagnant economy, political paralyses, fading competitiveness, so-called Galápagos syndrome isolationism, emerging social strains amid widening income gaps, diminished labor pools and a rapidly aging population piled high, Renhō's rhetorical query seemed to cut to the core of Japan's mounting troubles.
She was promptly criticized, most notably by old guard politicos like former Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma when he offhandedly reminded voters that Renhō "[was] not originally Japanese," playing the hoary hand of nationalism by referring to her naturalization in 1985.
Born to a Taiwanese father and Japanese mother, Renhō is a former pinup model and TV news presenter who maintains a very active Twitter account, YouTube channel and Ustream internet video streaming site. She favors short haircuts and lean white jackets over her almost entirely middle-aged male colleagues' bland barbering and suits of charcoal gray. A Wall Street Journal profile of Renhō this summer called her "the ruling party's most recognizable face," a significant label even in a country that has gone through five prime ministers in four years.
In other words: Most Japanese needed no reminder of who she is.
And then it happened. In the middle of Japan's month-long summer holidays, during which local papers reported that some companies were curtailing vacations or cutting them altogether to stay competitive, the international media made it official: Japan suddenly became No. 2, at least in Asia, and No. 3 in the rest of the world. China had made sure and quick work of it.
Photo by Yasutaka Kojima
Reaction in Japan's domestic media was mute to nonexistent. Some questioned the various methods used to calculate GDP figures, while other outlets simply ignored the story. The implied answer to Renhō's question, which resonated deeply enough that she published a book titled Do We Have to Be No. 1? in June, has grown glaringly obvious: What's wrong with being No. 2 is that you have to adapt to it. [more here @Adbusters magazine]
December 7, 2010
Shibata, Auster & Yourgrau in NYC, Dec. 7 & 9
Shibata, one of Japan's leading translators of contemporary American literature, works at the University of Tokyo, but he's making two appearances in New York City this week. On Dec. 7 at 6:30, he talks about the art of translation with Paul Auster at the Asia Society. (725 Park Ave., at 70th St. 212-288-6400.) On Dec. 9 at 6, he joins the New York writer Barry Yourgrau for a bilingual reading from Yourgrau's new book of stories, "Gangster Fables," which was just published in Japan. (Kinokuniya Bookstore, 1073 Sixth Ave., between 40th and 41st Sts. 212-869-1700.)
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/readings/motoyuki-shibata-various-locations-generic-no-phone#ixzz17QkcGPA1
