Synopses & Reviews
andlt;bandgt;In andlt;iandgt;Kansai Coolandlt;/iandgt;, anthropologist, writer and filmmaker Christal Whelan offers deep insights into the clash of old and new, traditional and modern that plays out on a daily basis in Japan's ancient heartland.andlt;/bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The western region of Japan is known as Kansaiand#8212;centering around the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and the sprawling, modern port cities of Osaka and Kobe. Kansai is Japan's "second region" after Tokyoand#8212;and is at once home to Japan's most traditional cultural centers and its most modern culture.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;From the ancient beliefs of Kyoto to the contemporary otaku or "geek" culture of manga, anime, costume play, robots and video games, readers will see how cultures collide in:andlt;ulandgt;andlt;liandgt; The needs of the spirit: Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples andlt;/liandgt;andlt;liandgt; The arts: dance, painting, anime and martial combatandlt;/liandgt;andlt;liandgt; The relationship between hi-tech and old-tech: bikes and robotsandlt;/liandgt;andlt;liandgt; Fashion trends: from exquisite kimonos to hip haute coutureandlt;/liandgt;andlt;liandgt; The meaning of landscape: man-made islands and the mystical power of water andlt;/liandgt;andlt;/ulandgt;In this unique collection of 25 essays, Whelan dives beneath the surface of Japan to let readers experience how art, science, faith and history mesh in the Kansai region to produce a singular wellspring of traditional and modern Japanese culture.
Review
"This fascinating collection of essays illuminates the mind-blowing diversity of "cool" in contemporary Japan. From Lolita fashion to Buddhist microtemples, this is a must-read for anyone interested the hidden treasures of Kyoto, Osaka and Nara." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Ian Condry, MIT professor and author of andlt;iandgt;The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan's Media Success Storyandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Christal Whelan's highly intelligent new book on the essence of Japan seems to manage to include a revelation on every pageandhellip;Endlessly engaging and supremely readable." and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Simon Winchester, OBE, journalist, author of andlt;iandgt;The Professor and the Madmanandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"A very fun read. I read this before spending a year in the Kansai region (Kyoto prefecture, to be precise) and as soon as I landed I was hearing all these wonderful Kinki words! Without this book giving me a basic understanding, I would have struggled a lot more. As well as being very light-hearted, it's very informative. And unlike some other books I've seen on Kansai-ben, it's very clear that there are a lot of differences between the different parts of the region." and#8212andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;Goodreadsandlt;/bandgt;andlt;/iandgt;
Synopsis
In Kansai Cool, anthropologist, writer and filmmaker Christal Whelan offers deep insights into the clash of old and new, traditional and modern that plays out on a daily basis in Japan's ancient heartland. The western region of Japan is known as Kansai centering around the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and the sprawling, modern port cities of Osaka and Kobe. Kansai is Japan's "second region" after Tokyo and is at once home to Japan's most traditional cultural centers and its most modern culture.
From the ancient beliefs of Kyoto to the contemporary otaku or "geek" culture of manga, anime, costume play, robots and video games, readers will see how cultures collide in:
- The needs of the spirit: Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples
- The arts: dance, painting, anime and martial combat
- The relationship between hi-tech and old-tech: bikes and robots
- Fashion trends: from exquisite kimonos to hip haute couture
- The meaning of landscape: man-made islands and the mystical power of water
In this unique collection of 25 essays, Whelan dives beneath the surface of Japan to let readers experience how art, science, faith and history mesh in the Kansai region to produce a singular wellspring of traditional and modern Japanese culture."
Synopsis
In Kansai Cool anthropologist, writer and filmmaker Christal Whelan offers profound insights in the only collection of essays to focus on Kansai, Japan's ancient heartland. Kansai -- the region in Western Japan that boasts the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, the bustling commercial city of Osaka and the cosmopolitan port city of Kobe -- has a character all its own, right down to its dialect, mannerisms, and cuisine. It is home to some of Japan's oldest history and an area where the country's most time-honored arts and crafts still thrive. Worldly and otherworldly, spirited and spiritual, trendy and traditional, it's a place where past and future live side-by-side, sometimes at odds.
Part Japanese travel book, part cultural commentary, these 25 spirited essays and 32 pages of color photos paint a broad yet penetrating portrait of the unique Western Japan region, covering such diverse topics as:
- The needs of the spirit: shrines, temples and the call to pilgrimage
- The arts in Kansai--dance, painting, anime, and combat
- The relationship between hi-tech and old-tech--material culture-bikes, robots, and dolls
- The culture of fashion in Kansai--from kimonos and obis to modern fashion designers, and the Lolita complex
- The meaning of landscape-- human-made islands and the mystical power of water
- The hidden meaning of food--an anthropology of coffee and traditional cuisine
From the deep-seated ancient beliefs of Kyoto to modern teen
otaku culture, costume play and haute couture of Kobe and Osaka--Whelan delves below the surface to let readers eager to travel to Japan experience how art, science, faith and history swirl together in the Kansai region to produce this unique wellspring of Japanese culture.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Christal Whelanandlt;/bandgt; is an anthropologist and interpreter who has lived and worked in Japan and Mongolia. She studied at Harvard University, Boston University, and Brown University. Many of the chapters in andlt;iandgt;Kansai Coolandlt;/iandgt; originated from her former columns in andlt;iandgt;Kansai Culturescapesandlt;/iandgt;, which ran in andlt;iandgt;The Daily Yomiuriandlt;/iandgt;.