Last week in class we talked a bit about our favorite things. I told the students about me and some of the things I like, but then I asked them to tell me a little about what they enjoy. Many of the students mentioned things from America like the singer Gwen Stefani or the television show Full House. I find it really interesting to see which bits of American pop-culture are popular in Japan and which aren't.
For example, in my English club the students have all heard of Britney Spears, but they were not familiar with Justin Timberlake. Justin is another singer and he is incredibly popular in America (he also used to be Britney's boy-friend). Given this, I thought both of them might be known here in Japan. On the other hand, Hannah Montana and High School Musical both seem to be really popular with a lot of students. Just like they are in America! I wonder, are they on MTV here? (I think there is an MTV Japan, but I'm not sure. I just get the basic television channels here.) I have caught some "top of the charts" type shows on television and the American/English songs at the top seemed to include a lot of slower, pop and country ballad-type songs from the USA and elsewhere. I'm not sure if those types of songs are more popular overall or maybe just this week?
In America, we get some Japanese anime on television, but none of the regular television shows/dramas. Anime and manga are popular as well in America as well, but more with certain sub-groups. One group manga is particularly popular with is teenage girls. Girl's manga features a style of drawing and a type of story that just isn't found in most American comics. (Mainstream American comics traditionally feature story-lines that focus more on action and intrigue than emotion and relationship development.) As a result, Japanese manga publishers have found America to be a great market in which to sell their books.
I also wonder why certain types of pop-culture from one country succeed in another. Each kind seems to have its own particular reasons for connecting with an audience in a new country. I love to watch foreign movies and television or listen to music from other places because it gives me a little glimpse at what another culture enjoys listening to and talking about. As an American, I wonder, what do other places learn about me when my country's pop-culture makes it into theirs?
2 comments:
How do you do? I was a student of Minami high school a few years ago. I'm looking forward to your blog updated these days:)
As you mentioned, I often think about cultural exchanges... it's really interesting for me too. We, a lot of Japanese tend to prefer foreign movies, songs, tv programs, or fashions to Japanese ones.
I went to Taiwan last week, and I found that I could see Japanese stuffs in every shop (literaly every including tiny booths along street!) It was many enough to make me confused where I was.
As for me, I love foreign stuffs. I also love traveling abroad on my own and touching their culture.
That's the reason partly why I'm waiting for your blog updated:)
I hope you can enjoy yourself at Nankou and make the students get interests in foreign countries!
All the best,
ex-nankousei.
Thank you for commenting! I'm glad you like reading the blog. I agree very much with what you said about seeing other cultures. It is so interesting to learn about the different ways people do things and the different ways they express themselves.
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