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JAPANESE POPULAR CULTURE

Program 07-04-22-A

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It's an invasion that shows no signs of slowing down. It's Japanese popular culture. And it's more pervasive here in America than you might realize. It's not just cute "Hello Kitty" backpack purses and Pokemon, "pocket monsters." It's also the eerie "dead wet girls" of Japanese horror movies like "The Ring." In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, we'll explore Japanese popular culture and find out why it's taken such a strong hold of the American imagination.

SEGMENT 1:

David Kalat is the author of "J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond." He talks to Steve Paulson about the J-Horror (Japanese Horror) film genre and what all of these films have in common with each other.

SEGMENT 2:

Timothy Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He tells Jim Fleming about how the Japanese attitude towards robots differs from the American view. Also, Anne Allison is Chair of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. She talks to Anne Strainchamps about her book, "Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination." Allison explains the universal appeal of Japanese popular culture.

SEGMENT 3:

Hiroyuki Sanada is an award-winning Japanese actor. He talks to Steve Paulson about his role in the groundbreaking samurai movie, "The Twilight Samurai." Also, we hear an excerpt from "Murakami's Well," an
hour-long documentary about the critically-acclaimed Japanese author, Haruki Murakami. The documentary was produced by Teresa Goff and Kathleen Flaherty. It originally aired on the CBC Radio One program, "Ideas."

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 07-04-22-A.

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Books:

Anne Allison, Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination (University of California Press)
David Kalat, J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond (Vertical)
Timothy N. Hornyak, Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots (Kodansha International)

Websites:

• -- David Kalat/J-Horror
  http://www.vertical-inc.com/
  http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781932234084
  
• -- Timothy Hornyak
  http://www.lovingthemachine.com/
  
• -- Anne Allison/"Millennial Monsters"
  http://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/CA/anne.allison
  http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10475.html
  
• -- Hiroyuki Sadana
  http://www.hiroyukisanada.com/
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroyuki_Sanada
  
• -- Haruki Murakami/"Murakami's Well"
  http://www.prx.org/pieces/17636
  http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/
  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/murakami/site.php?id=

Clips:

• -- from "The Ring" DVD (Dreamworks Video)
  http://www.dreamworks.com/dreamworks_home.html
  
• -- from "Kwaidan" DVD (Criterion Collection)
  http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=90
  
• -- from "The Twilight Samurai" DVD (Empire Pictures)
  http://firstrunfeatures.com/twilightsamuraidvd.html
  

Music:

• -- "Turning Japanese"/The Vapors (Karaoke version)
  from the CD, "Karaoke Pop: My Ship Is Coming In"
  (Charly Records)
  
• -- "Spooky"/Money Mark
  from the CD, "Mark's Keyboard Repair" (MoWax Records/A&M)
  http://www.moneymark.com/
  
• -- "The Robots (Cha-Cha-Cha)"/Senor Coconut y Su Conjunto
  from the CD, "El Baile Aleman" (Emperor Norton Records)
  http://www.senor-coconut.com/
  
• -- "Sixth Synth"/Money Mark
  from the CD, "Mark's Keyboard Repair" (MoWax Records/A&M)
  http://www.moneymark.com/
  
• -- "Music from HarukiMurakami.com"/Jefferson Rabb (not commercially available...yet)
  http://www.jeffersonrabb.com/
  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/murakami/site.php?id=

Distribution dates: week of 04/22/2007 - hour 1 click here for timings and cues

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