Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool

by Ashcraft, Brian; Ueda, Shoko

• ISBN13: 9784770031150
• ISBN10: 4770031157
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-01
• Publisher: Kodansha USA

Summary

The first book to look at the history and impact of Japanese schoolgirls on that country's society and cultureJapanese Schoolgirl Confidentialis a must for anyone curious about the girls that populate Japanese pop culture. For years schoolgirls have shown up in internationally popular anime such as Sailor Moon, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyaand Blood: The Last Vampire.Films such as Battle Royale inspired Quentin Tarantino to include a fighting schoolgirl in Kill Bill, and recently Rinko Kikuchi received an Oscar nomination for her role as a schoolgirl in the film Babel. There are schoolgirl characters in videogames such as Street Fighter. And the author's "Japanese Schoolgirl Watch" column in WIRED magazine has long kept an eye on the trends emerging among these stylish teens. These days, the Japanese schoolgirl has all but replaced the "geisha-girl" to become Japan's new female icon.But how and why has the Japanese schoolgirl become such an arbiter of cool?Brian Ashcraft, the author of Arcade Mania!, and his sidekick Shoko Ueda, take the reader beyond the realm of everyday schoolgirls to discover the secrets behind this iconic creature. By talking to Japanese women including former and current J-pop idols, well known actresses, models, writers, and artists - along with film directors, historians and marketers - the authors discover the history behind Japan's obsession with schoolgirls.Whether you want to know where the iconic sailor-style uniform came from, or how the Japanese schoolgirl became a brand that can be used to sell anything from kimchi to insurance, the answers are inside. Find out why Japanese schoolgirls have become such a symbol of girl power, and why they are so very, very cool!

Author Biography

BRIAN ASHCRAFT is the author of Arcade Mania! published by Kodansha International, and is Contributing Editor to Wired magazine, where he regularly writes the "Japanese Schoolgirl Watch" column. He also contributes to Kotaku, one of the world's most widely-read blogs, and has written for such publications as Metropolis, Popular Science, Ready Made and Otaku USA.
SHOKO UEDA has been the research assistant for the "Japanese Schoolgirl Watch" column, and draws on her own experiences as a former Japanese schoolgirl. This is her first book.