Julian Ryall talks pop culture with Morinosuke Kawaguchi
Aficionado and analyst of Japan’s otaku (geek) hobbyist culture, Morinosuke Kawaguchi
is associate director at Arthur D. Little (Japan) Inc. and a lecturer at the Tokyo Institute
of Technology.
Otaku culture seems to have been around a long time. Is it flagging?
In terms of content, anime is still a giant. Titles such as “Dragonball” and “One Piece” were created 20 years ago and have become huge hits, with sales of around 300 million units so far. Those sales may be decreasing, but titles are seeping into new categories such as the character business, and so the total volume is still growing.
The problem is that this expansion is limited to the contents business, the industry of animation and publishing – but I’m also interested in more serious businesses, such as using otaku culture to drive innovation in consumer electronics products.
Toshiba was the first to see this possibility. When researching a new flat-screen television, it realised how otaku use their TVs. It became the first maker to incorporate a USB port to link to a hard disc. That was three years ago, but now it seems like common sense for all makers, and Toshiba has generated a new use for televisions.
Why did this otaku culture emerge here in Japan?
Firstly, the island nation of Japan is isolated, yet not too far away from other countries. Also, this is a peaceful country and basically we have a culture of negotiation. Since the end of the war, we have given up our weapons and designers have had to stop thinking about how to destroy things with technology. Therefore, we have become decadent and pathetic.
The culture that has developed is of gyaru (urban babes) and otaku, both of which are global fashion leaders and trendsetters. My parents are of the generation that tried to be rich, and they achieved that – but what can they offer the world now? Soft power’s innovation appeals to young people around the world.
What’s the secret of that appeal?
In one way, it is related to the phenomenon of metrosexuals. The world has become generally peaceful and men are asking themselves who they are. In the past, they were warriors who protected their families. Now they have become more natural and feminine, especially in urban areas. Metrosexual men are more fashion-oriented and have less testosterone.
That phenomenon has occurred in Japan more than elsewhere because we have peace and a high quality of life. We have a mature and decadent culture like the cultures now appearing in Europe and elsewhere. People are sick of the tough competition in a world where there are winners and losers.
Japanese anime heroes are not always victorious, and that style of hero is very different from the usual image of a single hero overcoming the odds to end triumphant. Dragonball is the easiest to explain because the hero uses an energy ball against the bad character, uniting all the energy in the world. It is not just his own talent or god-like power; that’s a very different concept for a hero and a different concept of justice.
Where outside Japan is otaku culture most popular?
According to my theory, there are four original industrial areas: northern Europe, southern Europe, North America and North-East Asia. These can be defined as either masculine or feminine, and adult or childish.
Behaviour in Japan is childish and girlish. France and southern Europe are feminine, but adult. America is more boyish and energetic, but still has a sense of humour. Northern Europe is rational, and is a mature male. French and Italian culture share feminine traits with us Japanese. In the Edo era, Japan used to be an elegant woman, but since the end of the war we have become more childish.
Can successful otaku businesses translate abroad?
Shops and restaurants like the Shibuya 109 fashion tower, Tokyu Hands, Don Quixote, Yoshinoya – all those are unique and very Japanese, but not exported. Yet, every foreigner that comes to Japan – especially tourists from Europe – love them.
A lot of the visitors feel as though they’re in Disneyland. Don Quixote (a chain of gaudy discount shops) is chaotic, like a jungle. Finding stuff there is fun. Putting things alongside others that are not related takes us back to our childhood. It’s unstructured and the opposite of how grown-up’s lives are meant to be.
That kind of use of opposites is well developed in Japan, but the appeal of Japanese businesses is very poor. If we exported Shibuya 109 to Stockholm, we would have to change the design.
But Japanese business people aren’t hungry enough to do that. Yet they know that they should go overseas with their products, as they have experienced success in the past and are hoping that will come back again. Many Japanese businesses are completely unknown abroad, but they are unique and have huge potential.
The Japanese government is placing a lot of emphasis on “soft culture”. Does that mark a key shift in Japan’s export policies, away from its traditional strengths in manufacturing and engineering?
The technology of the past was used to increase efficiency: washing machines saved time; telephones made communications much easier; and information could be gathered via the radio or, more recently, the internet.
That free time is now being used to play video games or chat on the web. The change in the structure of our lives is reflected in decorated mobile phones. Once, engineers were trying to make them as small as possible, but now they are getting bigger again as people add decorations to them. It’s all about the availability of the decorations – and they are infinite.
With factory-made products the user had a choice of, say, three styles. That was boring, but now everyone is able to customise anything they want – from their phone to their car. When a product is easily available and can be customised, everyone wants one. It’s the same in Europe and the US.
Older people’s first impression might be “I can’t understand why they would want to do that”, and they think this is a sign that our culture has become pathetic, and despair that these young people are our future – but I prefer to think of them as our hope.
They have created something new. The world is for young people and they must have something.
Why is Japan so good at product design?
In Japan, we have shrines to intern old dolls since, because they have a spirit, you can’t put them in the rubbish. It’s the same with a kitchen knife or seamstress’ needle or scissors. You have a memorial service for old and bent needles, which are then put in a block of tofu because they have struggled with hard materials all through their working life.
The Japanese believe that you are partners with your tool. It’s the same with a mobile phone; I’ll dress it up like me because it is my partner.
Why are the Japanese better able to create the quirky than anyone else?
What is the meaning and purpose of an artifact? It’s obvious for a washing machine or vacuum cleaner as they can give us a lot of free time. A smart-phone reduces the time it takes to collect data to help us in business. Then we can sit back and relax.
But the number of time-saving gadgets is infinite, so maybe now the fun part is looking for these gadgets? Maybe that has become the real purpose of the exercise?
What is the best-ever Japanese invention and why?
Yokoi Gumpei made the “Love Tester” 40 years ago. It was based on a device to measure electric current and had two probes, but in the shape of a heart. Two people grab one probe each and, if they are in love, the meter goes up because they’re sweating a little and the conductivity is higher.
It was a simple amp meter. He was the hero of Nintendo and made lots of the company’s hit products. He was a genius. Toymakers do not need high-tech.
What is the downside of all this automation and convenience? Is it changing Japanese culture? Are people getting lazy?
Convenience stores have giant fridges so they have become virtual storage units for everyone who lives near one. It means you don’t have to keep everything in your own kitchen because there’s one just two minutes from your front door. Housing in Japan is still so poor that we have made these virtual extensions of our homes.
Our homes are shrinking and closing in on us; the only thing we need for our home now is a toilet, a bathroom and a bedroom. Everything else can be on demand.
What is the future for Japanese business?
We should hire more foreigners at the top in Japanese business. We Japanese are good sheep once we are given a goal and a structure, but we cannot make the rules. We have enough engineers and we don’t need any more. We need leaders who love Japan from the bottom of their hearts and want it to realise its potential.