The Image Factory : Fads and Fashions in Japan

Rating:
Summary: An up to date book of a changing landscape
Review: This is an up-to-date book. In a country where fads and fashions change rapidly this book serves as a postcard of the now. The author's writing is articulate and indicates a wide array of research and reading going into the material presented here. He has a good knowledge of the Japanese words used, and their lexigraphic meaning. He has been to the places he talks about and spoken to the people involved.

He covers fads and fashions such as kawaii (cute), manga (comics), pachinko (vertical pinball as gambling) and kosupure (costume play). He also doesn't shirk away from the sex industry and porn, an major cultural asset in Japan. The use of mobile phones and faux theme parks. From fashion shops in Shinjuku and Harajuku to the seedy parts of Tokyo.

Maybe the only thing missing I feel is a discussion on the different aspects of Japanese drinking. Alcohol is an important part of Japanese culture, as are hostess bars. But that is mostly an avenue of the salaryman, where as this book deals more with the younger generations.

Think of this beek as a modern version of Alex Kerr's Lost Japan.

The book also contains 48 colour photos which help to highlight and detail the topic material.