Part Two of David Marx’s exploration of Japan’s entertainment industry management companies, “Organizational Characteristics of Jimusho — Size and Keiretsu.”
For next month’s edition of Patrick Macias‘ TokyoScope talk series (Vol. 5), we head into the world of Japanese superheroes.
Each country or cultural region has a uniquely-structured industry responsible for producing, promoting, and distributing the products that make up what we consider “pop culture.” In the case of Japan, there is a single organizational category most responsible for the form and content of pop culture: the artist management company, called colloquially jimusho (”office.”) The jimusho wield a powerful cultural influence on all fields that require performers — television (variety and drama), advertising, music, modeling, gravia, and films.
Just as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of David Lynch’s short-lived — but oh-so-enjoyable — Twin Peaks TV series, CNNGo digs up a few commercials from the early nineties for Georgia canned coffee featuring characters from the show.
Hotel reservation site Jalan continues its series of TV commercials featuring cats, this time with a feline salaryman on a business trip.
Online gallery of
Japanese Contemporary Art
www.azito-art.com