I travelled to Japan when I was eighteen, my first ever international experience. My idea of the country was previously based on Americanised war movies and English- dubbed anime that aired on ABC before school. Never before had I experienced a monoculture. Japan was unlike anything I had ever experienced or expected, and ignited my need to know beyond my own context. To my untrained eye, coming from a culture with little attachment to tradition, there seemed to be some sort of modern glitch. There is an undercurrent of techie, youth culture that infiltrates the traditional. The hyper-sexual and overtly modern, sit next to the conservative aspects of Japanese culture. It is not uncommon to see a coloured, automatic vending machine in the middle of a traditional village space. Anime posters next to temples. Kawaii stuffed-toys an acceptable part of adult culture.
As I will explain, much of my understanding of…
View original post 351 more words
Digital Asia 