Otaku Unmasked – The Life, Death & Rebirth of Japan’s Pop Culture

November 30, 2005
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Lecture past event

Innovators Series Public Program
6:30 pm
Wednesday, November 30

The vitality and depth of Japanese pop culture have sent cultural ripples across the globe, influencing style, entertainment, and youth culture from Hong Kong to London. Yet much of the fervor surrounds material more than two decades old — a period of explosive imagination and inspiration — and many critics say creators today have failed to fill the shoes of their predecessors.  What transformations in Japanese society have led to a waning of Japan’s creativity in pop culture?  Where will new innovation come from, and what will serve as inspiration for the next generation of Japanese creative masterminds?  Join us for a conversation between Dai Sato, screenwriter of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Cowboy Beebop, and Samurai Champloo, and Hiroki Azuma, acclaimed Japanese philosopher and cultural critic, on the “death” and “rebirth” of Japan’s pop culture.  Moderated by Douglas McGray, a contributor to the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and WIRED

Followed by a reception.


Tickets: $10, $8 for Japan Society members, $5 for seniors & students. Purchase tickets online:





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  • Wednesday, November 30, 2005
  • 6:30 pm