The Cutting Edge: Fashion from Japan

Book Description

This lively, idiosyncratic survey of Japanese film, music, animation, and comics showcases the experiences of five avid American fans: journalist Carl Gustav Horn, who writes about anime; critic and musician Mason Jones, who releases Japanese alternative music on his Charnel Music record label; Patrick Macias, a writer on Asian film for the San Francisco Bay Guardian; Matt Thorn, a translator and expert on sh <@244>jo (girls') manga; and Yuji Oniki, a student of Japanese mass media.

Customer Reviews:

Japan Edge.......2000-04-10

This book covers several subjects of 'sub-culture' in/from Japan: Manga, Anime, Film, Music and Noise Music. For the veteran of any of these fields this book will be a quick review of fond memories while you comfortably nod your head to the 'nostalgia' it may raise in you. This book chronicles each subject's era it covers quite well and is a good guide for anyone with an interest in putting together a time-line of where their individual interest lie in the whole scheme of things...so being a 'veteran' of some of these subjects, I've found myself happily enjoying it's content and have passed some of it on to friends who have had questions about the wider spectrum of what has already transpired and who's who in a given subject of Manga, Anime, Film, Music or Noise Music from Japan. This book is designed well and feels like a Japanese book for full effect. I recommend this book to almost all interested in these subjects, except maybe an 'Otaku' of these subjects. However, if you're thinking this book is a 'travel guide' it is not. It is more of a contemporary history of the recent past and events. Enjoy.

Great commentary on Japan's cultural influence on the US.......1999-07-14

I'm not a big fan of anime or other subjects of this book, but the contributors give an interest tour of Japan.

One of the contributors, Carl Horn, gives insight into his genre (anime) made me want to give it a second look. I've seen a few films, Akira and such, and of course the classic anime series like Star Blazers and Speed Racer, but Mr. Horn gives a great perspective on the genre. I was particularly charmed by the story of discovering anime in Iran, where he apparently grew up.

This is not just a genre love-piece. I didn't feel that I was being somehow excluded or that I was supposed to know something about anime (or the other Japanese subcultures covered in the book) before reading this book.

Book Description

"STUNNING, EVOCATIVE . . . [A] well-crafted coming-of-age novel."
--School Library Journal
Fifteen-year-old Megumi was very sad when her parents broke up. But now, with her mother running off on a "trip" to her own childhood home, Megumi is left to stay with her father (who is never around) and her cranky grandmother (who is unfortunately always around).
Just when she feels that no one cares, Megumi meets Dr. Mizutani, a smart young woman who offers Megumi a part-time job in her veterinary office helping her heal sick birds. Dr. Mizutani seems to understand Megumi without asking a lot of questions. And as Megumi finally begins to accept why her mother had to leave, she discovers a confident strength within herself. . . .
"The text gains an intensity from the discipline with which every detail of this accomplished work is orchestrated from the first page to the last."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Customer Reviews:

ONE BIRD = Lies?.......2004-03-05

I've come to the conclusion that I don't like this author very much. All of her books boil down to her past. It's understandable if she can't put down her mother's suicide but to write so much stuff on the same topic... Like "Shizuko's Daughter", this book is about a daughter growing up alone. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood for her boohooing all over again.

All I could think of while I was reading that book was "What is this?". Like the author, I am Japanese and have spent most of my life in Japan and am getting read to move back to Japan. Again, she stresses the discipline of the Japanese public school system. From reading her memoirs, I know that she personally never attended one. She simply listened to all the bad about them, and portrays them in a negative way.

Basically speaking? It's another way for her to boohoo about her past and to put down Japan. She's biased, and I don't recommend this stuff to anyone.

anti-adult, anti-Christian.......2003-07-04

As someone who used to live in Japan, I was eager to read this. I hoped to find a book that my daughter could read to give her a glimpse of the life I used to know. However, I would not recommend this to any teen. The book is disturbing, because with the exception of a young, divorced, athiest, all of the adults are portrayed as either naive, frumpy, foolish, or hypocritical. The author is especially harsh on the Christian characters, both adults and teens, but also portrays others with religious beliefs negatively. Only the atheist comes out shining. The overall mood of the book is very negative. I was glad when I finished it. I gave it 2 stars instead of 1, because it does have some literary merit, unlike a lot of the stuff teens read these days.

Not as good as Shizuko's Daughter, but a winner nonetheless!.......2003-01-03

Megumi is a high school tenth-grader living in Japan in 1975. Megumi's life is a rather hard, cold, and lonely one. Her mother has left to go live with her grandfather using the excuse that he needs someone to take care of him, but Megumi knows that this is a lie.The only reason that her mother left was because she and her father coudln't stand each other, but getting a divorce would shame the family and the family's name. Megumi is very confused in the beginning of the book, if her mother loved her then why did she leave without her? Megumi's father and grandmother aren't exactly perfect guardians to top it off. Megumi's father is almost never home either out on business or visiting his girlfriend in Hiroshima who owns a bar and doesn't have a very honorable name. Megumi's grandmother is a cranky old woman who always complains about Megumi. Megumi meets a young, inspiring veterinarian by the name of Dr. Mituzani. Dr. Mituzani has had a hard past as well, but shows a strength that Megumi admires. Megumi helps take care of the birds at Dr. Mituzani's office, and finds much joy in watching sick or wounded birds heal. Many eventful changes occur in Megumi's life; Megumi stops believing in God, she loses her close friendship with her former best friend, and she learns that when her mother left her she missed Megumi as much as she said she did, and she truly did love Megumi.

Another great book by Mori!.......2002-11-26

I personally felt that this book wasn't as strong as Shizuko's Daughter, it is however, basically the same plot. The mother is not longer with in this case, Megumi, and the father doesn't care. He had a lover on a distant island, so someone moves in to care for Megumi. This book does contain many subplots, Megumi works for Dr. Mizutani, and discovers so much more about herself, about birds, and about caring. They develop a close bond, sharing their stories, and helping eachother. With the Kato's, it is a different bond, they had once been close, when Megumi realizes what she knew all along "There was no God" after admitting her loss of faith, she realized she could no longer be close friends with the Kato's and breaks connections. Toru, moves in from Tokyo and they develop an even closer bond, maybe even further than friendship...?
Her mother lives with her grandfather and Megumi must find the courage to stand up for herself, to get what she wants, to visit her mother...

Her father seems to stand up for her, and yet neglect her. Her grandmother seems to care not-at-all, but she cares enough to make the sandwiches, and all of those stories "Grandmother is really a nice person" what does it mean?
This book is great, but lacks the tension, the strong feelings, that her first book had. but read it anyway, you won't regret it...! ^_^

The best YA book.......2002-03-03

My friend was the first to read this book and I started after her after grabbing it to do a report. Most the time I barley get litte over half way through then I'm done. Not with this book. I stayed up for hours becuase it's one of those books you can't put down. The author is so good you acually feel like you know Megumi and what she is going through.

Startup Factories: Leading Edge Practices and Regional Advantage for High-Performing Firms

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Startup Factories: Leading Edge Practices and Regional Advantage for High-Performing Firms
Peter B. Doeringer , Christine Evans-Klock , David G. Terkla , Peter Doeringer , Christie Evans-Klock , and David Terkla
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

The authors chart the experience of start-up factories in adopting high performance management practices and provide insights into how US manufacturing can improve labor productivity and job quality in the coming years. Based on an extensive study of 48 new branch plants-that began operating between 1978 and 1990, this book explains how best practice manufacturing companies are raising productivity and lowering unit costs by introducing innovative high performance management practices. Start-Up Factories answers six key questions related to high performance management practices in the American workplace and provides criteria for evaluating certain strategies. In doing so, it demonstrates to economists labor management professionals, and policy makers that there is a set of principles about how to rebuild management systems in ways that simultaneously provide higher rates of growth in business productivity and a greater sharing of these productivity gains with workers.

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Skips Monthes at a time and never finishes thoughts
Good book for young adults...not for kids
Flora and fauna of Japan as well as many cultural aspects are very much a part of the story
Heartbreaking, but in the end, uplifting
A Time to Mourn, A Time to Heal

Shizuko's Daughter (Edge Books)
Kyoko Mori
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 080502557X

Book Description

"A cast of three-dimensional characters, keen imagery and attention to detail produce an emotionally and culturally rich tale tracing the evolution of despair into hope." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Customer Reviews:

Skips Monthes at a time and never finishes thoughts.......2007-07-15

While the plot is indeed intresting and complex Mori jumps monthes at a time between chapters (I believe the longest jump is 18 monthes) and never finishes the thoughts of a chapter and leaves you hanging. Even the epilouge which usualy answers unanswered questions is this way. I would not recomend this book to anybody!

Good book for young adults...not for kids.......2007-07-12

I thought this book was a very interesting look at how a young girl growing up in Japan in the 1970's had to jump through the cultural hoops of Japanese culture that refused to allow her to mourn her mother's passing in the way that she needed. It showed how the loss of her mother and the lack of emotional support she received from her father and stepmother affected what kind of person she would become in the future. It was slow in a couple of places but overall was good. However, it is classified as a juvenial book, but it is definitely not for kids. Most of the book is written from the point of view of Yuki, the child. But other chapters in the book are taken from the point of view of the adults in Yuki's life....the first chapter is taken from the point of view of Yuki's mother as she is preparing for her suicide and commits it. Also, this book takes place over several years, so it's not a book about a 12 year old as the bookcover states, but it takes Yuki from age 12 to around age 18 or 19 when she leaves home for college. While I think that this book is an okay read for adults or maybe even young adults, I think it's way over the heads of younger children....including the 12 year olds that the book is recommended for.

Flora and fauna of Japan as well as many cultural aspects are very much a part of the story.......2006-12-18

This is a most touching story. I cried throughout the entire book. Yuki's tragedy develops immediately within the first few pages. She returns from a piano lesson to find her mother dead on the kitchen floor. Her father remarries and life becomes truly miserable. Her father's only concern is to maintain an upstanding public image and her step mother is on a mission to destroy anything remotely valuable to Yuki. Through several changes of the seasons, as memories of mother are continually evoked by the different flowers, Yuki is coming to terms with her anger. True healing is finally set in motion when, very much against her father's will, Yuki resumes visits with her grandparents. Mindful Buddhist rites and practices ensue.

Heartbreaking, but in the end, uplifting.......2006-11-15

Kyoko Mori's semi-autobiographical novel, set in modern-day Japan (the late twentieth century), is a quietly searing narrative appropriate for readers middle school and up. The Shizuko of the title commits suicide in the very first chapter of the book, leaving her husband free to marry his longtime mistress. From age twelve to eighteen, the young protagonist, Shizuko's daughter Yuki, is trapped in a loveless home with her cold, distant father and hostile, shallow stepmother. In her grief and longing for a mother to whom she was close, Yuki turns to her schoolwork, her athletic abilities, and her artistic talents to escape the harsh atmosphere of her home life. The circumstances of her mother's death make her something of a pariah among her peers, and the one friendship she establishes with another girl ends after a brief period of comradeship. Yuki's only close emotional ties are to her mother's family, with whom she is seldom permitted to visit. It is only after years of struggle with happy memories of her mother and resentment towards her father that Yuki--who leaves home for a new life in college--is able to come to grips with her past, a growing confidence in her own creativity, and the possibility of a happy future.

Although the novel focuses on Yuki's thoughts and feelings, those of of father, stepmother, and grandparents are also given expression throughout the book. The author's prose style is deceptively simple, easy to follow, but rich in emotional detail. Ms. Mori (who now lives and teaches in the United States) conveys the cultural differences in attitude towards marriage and family that exist in Japan without resorting to time-worn stereotypes. This is a masterful piece of writing, at times heartbreaking but never heavy-handed, which concludes on a positive note with Yuki's newfound freedom and artistic growth.

It is difficult to classify "Shizuko's Daughter" as a novel for young adults (middle school and high school), as college students and "mature" adults will find it equally rewarding.

A Time to Mourn, A Time to Heal.......2005-12-21

Shizuko Okuda took her own life to free herself from unhappiness. Yuki, twelve at the time, can't understand why she would do something as commit suicide. The suicide has left her feeling alone and wondering what caused her mother do this to herself.
A year after her death, her father remarries his mistress Hanae who has no interest in her stepdaughter. She is disappointed with herself for not being able to have a son for her husband and is envious of Yuki's abilities. She makes every attempt to criticize Yuki towards her and her father. Hideki has to put aside his daughter's needs to appease his wife. Yuki loses respect for him.
Yuki is forced to be an adolescent on her own. She finds it hard to accept change because of her mother's untimely death. It is the connection between her mother's family and friend Mr. Kimura that give her the love and support she lacks in her home. She slowly and gradually comes to terms with her mother's death and is able to move forward.
Suicide in some cultures is considered taboo. It is an embarassment to family as with Hideki. It is also romanticized because of the suffering that Shizuko endured. If Yuki's maternal family had not been there for her, she would have been further isolated from herself and society. She is a strong-willed girl who overcame odds.
Kyoko Mori mentally illustrates Yuki's life paralleling it with her personal life. This book is a highly recommended read for high school students and persons dealing with the loss of a parent.

A Guide to the Japanese Stage: From Traditional to Cutting Edge (Origami Classroom)

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An excellent introduction to Japanese theater

A Guide to the Japanese Stage: From Traditional to Cutting Edge (Origami Classroom)
Ronald Cavaye , Paul Griffith , and Akihiko Senda
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 477002987X

Book Description

Japanese theater is vibrant and exciting, with a wide range of unique genres to be enjoyed by both visitors to Japan and on tour at arts and drama festivals and theaters worldwide. From the stately refinement of No and the colorful spectacle of Kabuki to the avant-garde of the shogekijo and
adaptations of Shakespeare or mainstream musicals, the world of the Japanese performing arts is thriving and innovative.

A Guide to the Japanese Stage covers all the main genres as performed today, from traditional to cutting edge. A brief history and introduction to the features of each genre is accompanied by recommendations of entertaining plays that are accessible to non-Japanese audiences. Brief synopses are
provided for many often-performed plays, and the best known companies, actors, playwrights, and directors are highlighted. The text is illustrated with 32 color pages and over 150 black-and-white photographs, and includes information on theater listings, how to purchase tickets, and which plays are
available on DVD in English.

This guide is invaluable for anyone keen to experience Japanese theater firsthand, and will provide additional insights for students of Japanese theater and literature.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent introduction to Japanese theater.......2005-06-19

Japanese theater is at once compelling and uninviting. Compelling, due to its flamboyant and exotic nature, with the outrageous flair of Kabuki, and the obfuscation and mystery of the masks of Noh and the puppets of Bunraku. Uninviting, because of the ancient and ceremonial language, the centuries old symbolism and buried nature of the storyline. Even to Japanese people, the worlds of Japanese theater can be a complex and incomprehensible realm, requiring significant amounts of study before appreciation. Like Shakespeare, the more familiar one becomes with the meter of the language and the flow of the story, the more one can enjoy the pathos and humor.

"A Guide to the Japanese Stage" is a fine introduction to Japanese theater, both traditional and contemporary. It showcases the four main styles of traditional theater, Kabuki, Noh, Bunraku and Kyogen, then offers a whirlwind tour of all the variety of modern plays and dances. The traditional theaters are covered in-depth, complete with popular play synopsises, styles of make-up, origins, famous actors, clothing and a surprising amount of detail for such a manageable book.

Packed with photographs, the stunning visual element is richly displayed. While definitely not a photo-book, "A Guide to Japanese Stage" illustrates the text with examples of wigs, masks, puppets and all the stunning flair that is a hallmark of Japanese theater. There is a nice collection of Yakusha-e, popular woodblock prints of Kabuki actors that have been sold over the years during performances. Further illustrations detail the male, female and special masks of Noh, the significance of the make-up styles of kumadori Kabuki make-up and the various quick costume changes and special effects of Kabuki.

Unlike most books on Japanese theater, modern theater is given its due as well, covering such things as Super Kabuki, Takarazuka's all-woman musical revue, Western-influenced Shingeki, and the grotesque dance of Butoh. Japan's theatrical tradition certainly doesn't end with the four classic styles, and an amazing breadth of work is on display. This is a rarely-covered area, and very interesting.

Immediately after reading "A Guide to the Japanese Stage," I went to see a Kabuki performance and it was astounding how much more appreciation I had from previous performances I had seen. Able to recognize the "mie" poses, knowing the purpose of the onnagata dance, and able to piece together the plot from the "typical play" synopsises of the book, it was a much more rewarding experience. True appreciation of these theater forms does only come from years of study and exposure, but this book is an excellent place to begin this journey. I look forward to learning more, and to experiencing more Japanese theater armed with my new insight.

New Design: Tokyo: The Edge of Graphic Design

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It's Asialicious

New Design: Tokyo: The Edge of Graphic Design
Edward M Gomez
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1564965619

Book Description

The "New Design" series celebrates some of the finest new graphic design talents each featured city has to offer. This city-by-city tour is the insider's guide to dozens of design firms that are making an impact on the industry.

Selected by designers for designers, the work in these pages reveals what makes graphic design tick in the city of Tokyo. Fresh, new, and filled with vitality, this is a valuable collection for all design enthusiasts, from advertising and media aficionados, to artists, educators, student, and all those with a strong interest in contemporary graphic design.

Designers and studios featured in this book include Seiju Toda, Madoka Iwabuchi, Frame Graphics, groovisions, Katsunori Aoki, Ghost Ranch Studio, Higraph Tokyo, King Cay Lab, Axis Design, and many others.

Customer Reviews:

It's Asialicious.......2000-04-26

This book gives a broad insight into contemporary asian design, with a huge spectrum of work samples from 35 different Tokyo-based designers/companies. It showcases many great ideas and would be a valuable resource for students, as well as practicing designers and advertising creatives.

M Form Society: How American Teamwork Can Capture the Competitive Edge

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M Form Society: How American Teamwork Can Capture the Competitive Edge
William G. Ouchi
Manufacturer: Perseus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0201055333

Emerging Patterns of Innovation: Sources of Japan's Technological Edge (The Management of Innovation and Change)

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Emerging Patterns of Innovation: Sources of Japan's Technological Edge (The Management of Innovation and Change)
Fumio Kodama
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0875844375

Book Description

The nature of technological innovation is such that no company or nation can remain dominant forever. What is more, according to Fumio Kodama, we are entering an unprecedented age of mutual learning. In order to leverage our collective knowledge, we must create a common language to describe the innovation process. Kodama makes an invaluable contribution to that learning in Emerging Patterns of Innovation, in which he applies rigorous scientific measurement, historical perspective, and in-depth case studies to outline a model for how Japanese high-tech firms manage innovation and devise their technology strategies. The result is an analysis from which companies-and governments-all over the world can draw enduring lessons.

Kodama uses the concept of a techno-paradigm shift to express the radical changes in the way technology has been and continues to be developed, applied, and commercialized over time. In analyzing data gathered over ten years of intensive research and study of Japanese firms, he distinguishes six dimensions along which the shift is occurring: manufacturing, business diversification, R&D competition, product development, innovation pattern, and societal diffusion of technology. He illuminates his discussion of each dimension with a profile of specific technologies and the companies that have advanced them, including consumer electronics (Sony and Toshiba), fiber optic cables (Sumitomo Electric), computers and communications equipment (NEC), machine tools (Fanuc), and automobile parts (Honda, Toyota, and Nissan).

Has Japan deliberately developed its social, political, and economic environments to enable the efficient generation, innovation, and diffusion of technologies to match the techno-paradigm shift? Kodama's empirical analysis suggests the opposite -- that the techno-paradigm shift, driven by rapid evolution in science and engineering, naturally favors the Japanese system.

The concepts presented in Emerging Patterns of Innovation not only have implications for the competitive strategies of non-Japanese firms and the economic policies of their corresponding nations, but could also help promote important international alliances in technological development at both the business and the national levels. In particular, Kodama describes his vision of option sharing, through which it is possible to resolve the tensions between international cooperation and national autonomy as well as to promote a nonprotectionist, "plus-sum game" in technological innovation that would benefit the world as a whole. The Management of Innovation and Change Series.

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The 2007-2012 Outlook for Beech Rough Lumber Not Edge Worked Made in Sawmills in Japan
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Econometrics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0497385856
Release Date: 2006-09-28

Book Description

This study covers the latent demand outlook for beech rough lumber not edge worked made in sawmills across the prefectures and cities of Japan. Latent demand (in millions of U.S. dollars), or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) estimates are given across some 1,000 cities in Japan. For each city in question, the percent share the city is of it’s prefecture and of Japan is reported. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city vis-à-vis others. This statistical approach can prove very useful to distribution and/or sales force strategies. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each prefecture and city, latent demand estimates are created for beech rough lumber not edge worked made in sawmills. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.

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