Media Theory in Japan

Providing an overview of Japanese media theory from the 1910s to the present, this volume introduces English-language readers to Japan's rich body of theoretical and conceptual work on media for the first time. The essays address a wide range of topics, including the work of foundational Japanese thinkers; Japanese theories of mediation and the philosophy of media; the connections between early Japanese television and consumer culture; and architecture's intersection with communications theory. Tracing the theoretical frameworks and paradigms that stem from Japan's media ecology, the contributors decenter Eurocentric media theory and demonstrate the value of the Japanese context to reassessing the parameters and definition of media theory itself. Taken together, these interdisciplinary essays expand media theory to encompass philosophy, feminist critique, literary theory, marketing discourse, and art, provide a counterbalance to the persisting universalist impulse of media studies, and emphasize the need to consider media theory situationally.

Marc Steinberg is Associate Professor of Film Studies at Concordia University and the author of Anime’s Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan.

 

Alexander Zahlten is Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University.