Papers by Tets Kimura
Restructuring diffusions of contemporary Japanese culture
Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, 2019
Observations of three recent Japan-themed exhibitions in Europe demonstrate the extent to which J... more Observations of three recent Japan-themed exhibitions in Europe demonstrate the extent to which Japanese popular culture has become a staple of global cultural consumption. Nonetheless, it is specific forms of Japanese artistic products which receive global attention; other forms, or even some practitioners of those forms, remain obscure outside of Japan. Direct observations of contemporary exhibitions indicate that global engagement with Japanese popular culture remains relatively superficial.
Cool Japan: Fashion as a Vehicle of Soft Power
Transglobal Fashion Narratives: Clothing Communication, Style Statements and Brand Storytelling, 2018
Japanese society is known for ofering limited fexibility to its people. Due to the restrictive so... more Japanese society is known for ofering limited fexibility to its people. Due to the restrictive social structure, combined with the dragged-out economic slowdown that has no end in sight, ‘hope’ is said to be waning in Japan. In this environment, contemporary Japanese fashion has developed as an aspect of social rebellion, as fashion is a unique place where freedom can exist. Tis empowers people from the ‘street’ to produce various styles as an aspect of unique self-expression. Elite Japanese fashion corporations and designers are not shy to adopt, adapt and improve the street ideas. Te Japanese bottom-up fashion structure makes Japanese fashion ‘cool’ in a Western dominated world of fashion, as traditionally the West has top-down fashion fows. Te term ‘cool’ has also been used as an adjective for Japanese fashion as part of Japan’s governmental ‘Cool Japan’ policy. Tis newly promoted ofcial initiative is associated with Nye’s concept of sof power, which is the ability to achieve a political goal through attraction rather than coercion. Japan’s main political objective for the last 25 years has been economic revitalization. To enable this, Japan today attempts to export aspects of its home-grown culture, including fashion, under the brand of Cool Japan. Tis chapter will critically examine the potential of Japanese sof power with specifc reference to fashion in meeting the nation’s political goals. An analysis of existing quantitative surveys of Cool Japan suggests that fashion is not the strongest vehicle of Japan’s sof power. Contrasted with this, qualitative interviews conducted by the author with various specialists in Japanese culture, and with other respondents, including government ofcials and fashion producers, both in and outside of Japan, fnd that the sof power potential of Japanese fashion is high in comparison to other Cool Japan products such as anime, manga and pop music. Where the efciency of Cool Japan branding as a whole appears to be largely pan-Asian rather than global, Japanese fashion is well-integrated and consumed throughout the world due to its wide acceptance. Tus, this chapter argues for the existence of an engaging storyline of Japan’s sof power policy within the feld of fashion.
Heroes and Villains: A Discourse Analysis of Australian and Japanese Whaling Reports in Newspapers
Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 2018
Japan’s whaling in the Southern Ocean has been a contentious issue in Australia, typified by a sy... more Japan’s whaling in the Southern Ocean has been a contentious issue in Australia, typified by a systematic and widely supported anti-whaling campaign. This resistance came to a head on 15 January 2008 with the advent of two events; the boarding of a whaling ship by protestors, and the ruling of the Australian Federal Court that Japan’s whaling breached Australian Law. Our comparative discourse analysis of Australian and Japanese media reportage of these events illustrates how each country has constructed alternative realities reflective of their respective pro or anti-whaling agendas. The constructs in each discourse are distinct; the former full of heroes and villains, the latter filled with scientific researchers. Not only does this underscore the depth of the ideological divide, but it raises the issue of journalistic objectivity and the role that journalism plays in influencing public affairs. We suggest that journalists need to think carefully about the consequences of their (mis)-representations and either acknowledge their partisanship and be held to account, or strive for more balance in reporting events.
Creation of Contemporary Taiwanese Fashion: A Shift in Tainan City towards Original Design
Fashion Practice: The Journal of Design, Creative Process & the Fashion Industry, 2017
Taiwan is not famous for its fashion. Out of today’s five major Taiwanese fashion styles, all of ... more Taiwan is not famous for its fashion. Out of today’s five major Taiwanese fashion styles, all of which are imported, none are indigenous to Taiwan.This may influence fashion scholars unmotivated to study contemporary Taiwanese fashion. However, post-WWII Taiwan has developed its unique textile culture. It initially acted as a manufacturer within international capitalism, utilizing a combination of the existing infrastructures built by the Japanese colonial government (1895–1945), post-war pro-US policy, and cheap labor. Unfortunately, this did not last indefinitely due to the rise of continental Asian countries, especially China, to replace Taiwan’s role. However, in the 1990s, the textile workers in the island’s historical capital of Tainan started to combine their established trade skills and the city’s nostalgic cultural atmosphere as a source of inspiration to become creators. Since then, there have also been non-Tainan natives attracted by the city’s culture to establish new fashion businesses in Tainan. Although these Tainan fashion companies are unknown in the West, in today’s Taiwan they are regarded as a local specialty characterized by original Taiwanese fashion. This paper will examine the relationship between fashion, colonial history and Taiwanese indigeneity.
Japan Studies Association Journal, 2016
Supported by Japan’s official “Cool Japan” policy, creative popular culture products from Japan a... more Supported by Japan’s official “Cool Japan” policy, creative popular culture products from Japan are consumed internationally. This new cultural promotion attempts to project Japan’s soft power, which is the ability to achieve a goal through attraction rather than coercion according to the theory’s founder Joseph Nye. Japan’s main political goal over the last 25 years has been economic revitalization. In forwarding this objective, today’s Japan attempts to capitalize on its position within popular culture including fashion and J-pop music through the export of products generated through Japan’s creative industries. This stands in contrast to conventionally exportable manufacturing products.
There is a charismatic mass-manufactured business model in the Japanese fashion and music sectors. Uniqlo is the dominant force of the Japanese apparel industry, growing internationally through its emphasis on quality and reasonable prices instead of trend prediction. AKB48 are arguably the most successful J-pop icon based in Tokyo’s subcultural district of Akihabara. The all-female performers have expanded to create spin-off groups in four Japanese regional cities as well as in China and Indonesia.
This article, however, will argue that the soft power potential of industry-driven creative products is limited to Asia due to a lack of comprehensive appeal to the broader Western world, typically considered the center of international popular culture. Thus, the famous Japanese apparel and music giants do not meet Nye’s crucial soft power requirement as they lack a connection to “universalistic culture.” However, considering the growing population and economy of Asia, the current approach by the Japanese is sufficient to attain the soft power goal of “Cool Japan,” which is economic revitalization.
Flinders University Languages Group Online Review, 2019
In the contemporary world where communication takes place beyond national, cultural and linguisti... more In the contemporary world where communication takes place beyond national, cultural and linguistic borders on a daily basis, the work of translators and interpreters occurs in sociocultural contexts that go beyond the mere linguistic transfer between two languages. Translators and interpreters participate in intercultural communication exchanges where different identities, beliefs and attitudes coexist. To discuss the complexities faced by contemporary translators and interpreters, the two-day Australian Applied Language at Certificate II and III levels were developed in conjunction with Ripponlea College for secondary school students in the government and non-government sectors. These programs give indigenous students confidence and an appreciation of their own language and culture, as well inspiring them to become interpreters and translators. The second keynote speaker, Professor Rita Wilson from the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics at Monash University, presented the complexities of cultural contact and the relationship between language, culture and social inclusion. She spoke on what understandings could be brought to the term 'intercultural' and how the shifts in the professional identities of translators and interpreters as mediators increasingly necessitates effective intercultural dialogue. The conference was concluded by the Jill Blewett Memorial Lecture, presented by The Honourable Ms Jing Lee MLC, Assistant Minister to the Premier of South Australia, whose portfolio includes government responsibility for the state's multicultural affairs.
Japan: grasping for hope in a new imperial era
The Interpreter , 2019
The Reiwa era is about to begin and with it springs hope that
the national malaise of recent deca... more The Reiwa era is about to begin and with it springs hope that
the national malaise of recent decades can be left behind.
Japan’s Immigration and Integration Questions
The Interpreter, 2018
Twice as many people move to Japan than to Australia,
now Japan is finally set to accept foreign ... more Twice as many people move to Japan than to Australia,
now Japan is finally set to accept foreign labourers.
Sweaters and Soft Power: The Uniqlo Story
Australian Outlook, 2018
Japanese clothing empire Uniqlo has recently expanded across Australia. So, how did your latest j... more Japanese clothing empire Uniqlo has recently expanded across Australia. So, how did your latest jeans purchase contribute to Japanese soft power?
Japan Studies Association Journal, 2017
Catwalk: The Journal of Fashion, Beauty and Style, 2016
Asian pop: China’s new power confrontation
Will Shinkai Makoto be the next Miyazaki? A review of Shinkai’s animations including the latest short-film “Cross Road”
Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, 16(1)
A Discourse of Japanese Fashion "Discovered"?
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art 15(1) pp. 130-132 (2015).
Focus on Japan
Fashion Theory, vol. 18(4), pp. 497-504 (2014).
Proceedings of the 18th Conference of the Japanese Studies Association of Australia: Peer-reviewed full papers, Canberra: Australian National University, pp. 1-13 (2014).
Uniqlo is the Japanese fast fashion giant and the largest Japanese apparel company in
New Voices, vol. 6, pp. 173-198 (2014).
e ongoing dispute over whaling is a signi cant issue of con ict between Australia and Japan. It a... more e ongoing dispute over whaling is a signi cant issue of con ict between Australia and Japan. It appears that the print media in each country supports the dominant opinion: anti-whaling in Australia, and pro-whaling in Japan. To investigate media perspectives, this study reviews newspaper coverage throughout a whaling season (15
Flinders Journal of History and Politics, vol. 29, pp. 20-40 (2013).
War and thus saved many lives. However, historical accounts indicate that the war could have ende... more War and thus saved many lives. However, historical accounts indicate that the war could have ended less destructively. A greater number of Japanese civilians died from the atomic bombs than the expected casualties of American soldiers -casting doubt on justification for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, Taurek's 'Should the Numbers Count?' reveals that numbers may not necessarily play a role in making a moral decision. This paper examines Taurek's ethical arguments in relation to the historical events and concludes that, while Taurek's argument may appear plausible, his philosophical ideas do not adequately justify the use of the atomic bombs.
Conference Presentations by Tets Kimura
Lost in Australia? Reporting the 2019 Australian federal election in Japanese
Australian Political Studies Association Conference, 2019
We know how Australian federal elections are reported in Australia, and are also familiar with ho... more We know how Australian federal elections are reported in Australia, and are also familiar with how they are covered in other English speaking countries such as the UK, US and New Zealand. However, how much do we know about coverages in non-English speaking countries? How do they report?
As a stringer of the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese national broadsheet daily, I have been involved in Japanese language reporting of the last four federal elections. In May this year, I was with a senior Mainichi journalist, who was visiting Australia from her bureau base, Jakarta, to assist her with her assignment, which included organising interviews with academics, doing translations and interpreting, applying for media accreditations, and providing information relating to Australian political, cultural and economic systems and affairs. For Japanese reporters, it is typical practice to find and hire a local specialist when they visit countries where they have no corresponding office. Most Japanese major newspapers closed their Australian bases after the Sydney 2000 Olympics because of the high cost. Without my role, the Mainichi, for example, would be in a difficult position to comprehensively report on Australian elections.
This was most evident at the 2019 election as there was an unexpected winner. In this presentation, I will deliver an anthropological perspective of how my presence has contributed to the Mainichi’s reportage of the last election, introducing stories behind Japanese language reporting to Australian political scientists.
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Papers by Tets Kimura
There is a charismatic mass-manufactured business model in the Japanese fashion and music sectors. Uniqlo is the dominant force of the Japanese apparel industry, growing internationally through its emphasis on quality and reasonable prices instead of trend prediction. AKB48 are arguably the most successful J-pop icon based in Tokyo’s subcultural district of Akihabara. The all-female performers have expanded to create spin-off groups in four Japanese regional cities as well as in China and Indonesia.
This article, however, will argue that the soft power potential of industry-driven creative products is limited to Asia due to a lack of comprehensive appeal to the broader Western world, typically considered the center of international popular culture. Thus, the famous Japanese apparel and music giants do not meet Nye’s crucial soft power requirement as they lack a connection to “universalistic culture.” However, considering the growing population and economy of Asia, the current approach by the Japanese is sufficient to attain the soft power goal of “Cool Japan,” which is economic revitalization.
the national malaise of recent decades can be left behind.
now Japan is finally set to accept foreign labourers.
Conference Presentations by Tets Kimura
As a stringer of the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, a Japanese national broadsheet daily, I have been involved in Japanese language reporting of the last four federal elections. In May this year, I was with a senior Mainichi journalist, who was visiting Australia from her bureau base, Jakarta, to assist her with her assignment, which included organising interviews with academics, doing translations and interpreting, applying for media accreditations, and providing information relating to Australian political, cultural and economic systems and affairs. For Japanese reporters, it is typical practice to find and hire a local specialist when they visit countries where they have no corresponding office. Most Japanese major newspapers closed their Australian bases after the Sydney 2000 Olympics because of the high cost. Without my role, the Mainichi, for example, would be in a difficult position to comprehensively report on Australian elections.
This was most evident at the 2019 election as there was an unexpected winner. In this presentation, I will deliver an anthropological perspective of how my presence has contributed to the Mainichi’s reportage of the last election, introducing stories behind Japanese language reporting to Australian political scientists.