Lizzy
What does "cool" mean? page 32
Alex P.
People put emphasis on brands names--those who only "buy American" or stick to Japanese electronics, for example--which suggests that brands, or at least stereotypes of product country-of-origin, propel products into the global market. If this is indeed the case, why does Japan go to such great lengths to mask its 'cultural odor' (with the use of mukokuseki in their animations and computer games, for example)?
Tiffany
Why do you think Japanese culture has become such a popular thing? Would you contribute its popularity to the a factor of being exotic? Why would you say that its influences on other cultures have lasted so long?
Natalie
What is the dfference between the processes behind Americanization and Japanization? Iwabuchi speaks to the idea that Japanization is "odorless", does this change the amount of power, or even type of power, Japanization gains for Japan?
L.B.
Iwabuchi quotes Bell and Bell (1995) in regards to American cultural power, stating, " 'America' has rather come to symbolize the very processes of social and cultural modernization themselves" (41). How would you react to a statement like this being made today in regards to what makes headline news in popular media and popular culture? What are the things we see today saying about America's "cultural power"?
Zach F.
"Is the world being 'Japanized"? This question starts a middle section of Chapter one. Yet, this question seems to be a reoccurring structure for questions in the study of transnationalism. Why are people so concerned with the idea of one culture taking over the world? We have clearly seen this is not the case time and time again, but this question is a mainstay in transnationalism study.
Julie
Do origins matter if the country receiving a cultural product from somewhere else does not view that product as foreign? What does reconsidering the significance of origin do to the cultural imperialism debate?
Shannon
Is race important when creating characters in animation? In the book, the author considers the "non-Japaneseness" of these characters to directly cause the piece to "lack nationality" and "Japanese odor"(28). Considering other "attractive characters" in American films, such as Disney Princesses; do these characters portray a certain nationality? Would you consider these characters to portray a better symbol of America because of their appearance?
Zach N.
If "the cultural presence of a foreign country is often interpreted as a threat to national identity and/or to national interest"-why is it that globalization through media is considered such a good thing?
Stephanie
Within Chapter 1, the author introduces the idea of a “cultural discount,” which explains the diminished appeal of a cultural product or idea after it reaches another country with a different culture. The author blames this on difficulties people often have identifying and relating to another culture. Yet, in past accounts we have read, the ideas of unfamiliarity and “newness” have often created an exotic appeal for such products and ideas crossing cultural boundaries. Why do you think this discrepancy exists and what is it about such Japanese products that make them different?
Phillip
looking at the way that the Japanese have escalated economically through electronics. are there any other products in japan that has contributed to globalization?
Alex V.
What is "cultural odor", and how is this concept related to the "mukokuseki" nature of Japanese animation?
Joshua
Can we say that the term "electronic individualism" will soon be used to describe America?
Gavin
On page 36, Iwabuchi says that "the expansive force of globalization, the transmission of cultural forms from the dominant to the rest via communication technologies and transportation systems, has brought about a "time-space compression", or the shrinking of the distance between one place and another." Incorporating the list of factors to the acceleration at the top of the page, what do you think is the most influential factor is to this "time-space compression" that Iwabuchi talks about? Why do you think this is so important? Do you think that the progress in technology and media made this factor the most important?
Alex P.
For a book on Japanese Popular Culture and globalization, I was surprised at often "America," "American-ness," and "Americanization" was mentioned. It was mentioned that it was the success of "America's intervening partnerships" that many Japanese products became successful. Is this giving America too much credit for the success of other nations’ products? Why does America seem to be at the crux of this conversation?
Lizzy
What are other examples of odors/fragrances? How do you turn something into a fragrance?
Shannon
The author depicts an entire sector of the Japan economy to be dependent on localization. Does this change your former view of the credibility of this term?
Stephanie
Within Chapter 3, Iwabuchi discusses the way in which Japanese media industries are discouraged from exporting products to other Asian countries because of the history of Japanese imperialism. In your opinion, should history play such a role in the globalization of products? Is there a way to overcome this historical context in the way a country markets a product, and if so, how could this be done?
Zach N.
Does authenticity matter if the goal of glocalization is to "blur the distinction between the foreign and the local?"
L.B.
Iwabuchi asserts that, "popularity does not depend upon whether the product is originally Japanese or not, but rather upon how Japan localizes the original" (96). How true do you believe this statement is and can you think of examples from other countries that support a statement like this?
Amanda P.
Much of chapter three focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the Asian music market for Japanese artists. Do you agree with the assertion that many of these weaknesses may turn themselves into self-fulfilling prophecies and maintain stronger transnational flows in different Asian-centered locations? (119). Can you thing of any other peripheral factors that contribute to the strength of some locations and weakness (like Taiwan) in others?
Ian
As transnationalism accelerates and grows in the modernizing globe is Japan "too self contained to extend its powers overseas"? (pg. 111). That is, will other countries create "non-western indigenized modernity" better than Japan? So far Japan has done a very subtle and odorless job, and has one of the only self sustaining media economies. How will changes in transnationalism change this fact?
LaKeisha
Why do Asian countries support global capitalism instead of local capitalism, when global capitalism is just increasing.
Hannah
On page 94 Iwabuchi explains that games made by japanese animators are intentionally made to look not japanese, for example super mario brothers. Is there a reason for a change in the way that animators have been designing games? Anime and "japanimation" have become very popular in american society, what spurred this change?
Julie
In reading this chapter, I was struck by the quote, "What was marked as foreign and exotic yesterday can become familiar today and traditionally Japanese tmrw" (97). Japan sees this as an accomplishment on their part, but it is uncertain whether other Asian countries will be willing to localize Japanese products in the same way. Do you think Japan's success in localizing American products is a feat or a failure?
Lizzy
How do odorless Japanese product sales compare to odored ones?
Joshua
Why is it that Japanese gaming companies send their product out "odor less"?
Tiffany
Do you think that the spread of Japanese cultures across different countries show the advancement of Japan as well as the cultures that receive it.
Zach F.
Does this chapter seem like a "how to" on global marketing? Is localization a key to marketing outside a company's original culture?
Amanda B.
On page 103, Iwabuchi addresses authenticity. Does a country make an global advertisement (Coca Cola, Sony) "their own" by incorporating a picture of a person from that country? Is this right/smart?