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Beyond Kawaii
Kawaii. The love of all things cute has become the dominant image of Japanese girls and women.
Real Japanese women are, however, more complex. Some celebrate their uterus, others experiment with fashion and cross- dressing or embrace their chubbiness, many struggle with motherhood. And some may even return as vengeful ghosts.
This third collection of studies by young scholars from the University of Cambridge looks beyond the kawaii image and explores the diversity and complexity of being a Japanese woman in the new millennium.
Real Japanese women are, however, more complex. Some celebrate their uterus, others experiment with fashion and cross- dressing or embrace their chubbiness, many struggle with motherhood. And some may even return as vengeful ghosts.
This third collection of studies by young scholars from the University of Cambridge looks beyond the kawaii image and explores the diversity and complexity of being a Japanese woman in the new millennium.
279 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
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July 16, 2020
I have read through 'Beyond Kawaii’ as an evening reading over three days and the only complaint I could think of is that I wish it was longer - even though it is academic literature and has 280 pages! The choice of topics was very interesting for me, and I would be happy if I could create a dissertation that reads even half as well as the studies within the book.
I recommend it to anyone looking to understand the true complexity of a women’s image in Japan, that goes beyond the phenomena of kawaii culture. At the same time, it is a wholesome reading that covers most recent issues surrounding women status (including consideration of the government’s response to COVID-19), so it would be most informative to those with a broader interest in contemporary Japan.
The book brings together a number of most recent studies that cover a range of much-spoken about topics such as body image, the world of beauty or the male imagination. Each study explores big questions through a focused, targeted approach that targets a niche subject matter. Thanks to this, I found that renewed spur of curiosity accompanied turning of each page in each new chapter.
Thanks to it being an academically researched book, each topic is analysed critically and synthetically. For example, in the first chapter, the book not only brought my attention to continuities in the feminine image from the past that have been re-emerging, but contrary to what might be natural to think, the research illustrated how contemporary social developments and expectations of women in Japan may run parallel, and not contrary, to the strengthening of orthodox values, in what can be seen as a post-feminist, neo-liberal environment. This is but one example of the valuable insights contained in the readings, which explore in detail social changes and their effects on femininity.
While ‘Beyond Kawaii’ is a well-written academic book, its style ensures that it reads easily. It was both informative and enjoyable reading, even for a non-native English speaker. Together with a complete, extensive bibliography that’s included, the book makes a great resource for research purposes, but also for one’s pleasure and deepening of knowledge on Japan.
With its unique, up-to-date topics, ‘Beyond Kawaii’ is most certainly to provide you with insights not to be found in any other book in the field, and at such I would strongly recommend giving it a read to anyone interested.
I recommend it to anyone looking to understand the true complexity of a women’s image in Japan, that goes beyond the phenomena of kawaii culture. At the same time, it is a wholesome reading that covers most recent issues surrounding women status (including consideration of the government’s response to COVID-19), so it would be most informative to those with a broader interest in contemporary Japan.
The book brings together a number of most recent studies that cover a range of much-spoken about topics such as body image, the world of beauty or the male imagination. Each study explores big questions through a focused, targeted approach that targets a niche subject matter. Thanks to this, I found that renewed spur of curiosity accompanied turning of each page in each new chapter.
Thanks to it being an academically researched book, each topic is analysed critically and synthetically. For example, in the first chapter, the book not only brought my attention to continuities in the feminine image from the past that have been re-emerging, but contrary to what might be natural to think, the research illustrated how contemporary social developments and expectations of women in Japan may run parallel, and not contrary, to the strengthening of orthodox values, in what can be seen as a post-feminist, neo-liberal environment. This is but one example of the valuable insights contained in the readings, which explore in detail social changes and their effects on femininity.
While ‘Beyond Kawaii’ is a well-written academic book, its style ensures that it reads easily. It was both informative and enjoyable reading, even for a non-native English speaker. Together with a complete, extensive bibliography that’s included, the book makes a great resource for research purposes, but also for one’s pleasure and deepening of knowledge on Japan.
With its unique, up-to-date topics, ‘Beyond Kawaii’ is most certainly to provide you with insights not to be found in any other book in the field, and at such I would strongly recommend giving it a read to anyone interested.
Displaying 1 of 1 review