THE CUTE			"kawaii, "Hello Kitty, Dorae- mon, Chara, "The Rose Of Versailles", Advertisement, Anthropomorphism			The presentation of goods in a cute manner; style for an amazingly big part of the female population; "being cute" associates attitudes like purity, servitude, passivity, - and therefore always includes a minor position
		BUYER'S CULTURE Money Matters					Bubble-Economy, Vending Machines, Instant Ramen, Leisure Time - Working Hours, Pachinko, "Purikura", Youth-Fashion, Nintendo, Salaryman, Tamagotchi, Manga, Christmas		"It all comes down to money" is certainly the main principle of any pop-culture worldwide. What makes the Japanese situation somewhat different is the shamelessness of its occurence and the nearly totally exclusion of other values. After the depression of World War II a consumer culture has been developed which seems to be unique in the world and which certainly influences every part of life in Japan.
		SHOW BIZ					Idols, Ratings and Box Office Numbers, Miyazawa Rie, TV Programs, Otaku, The Event		Celebration and design of stars and idols Entertainment TV (including news), Fashion
		INSIDE Ware Nihonjin					Enka, School System, Kenka Matsuri, "Gambatte", Martial Arts, "Gaman",		Nationalism and Tradition Samurai Values, like for example the "Fighting Spirit" or hierarchical concepts of Buddhism are determining behaviour in everyday life
		OUTSIDE Abroad					Tourism, Youth Groups, TV-Reports, Katakana-English, "Naruhodo"-The World, Western World		I observe some behaviours with a strange mixture of unreserved embracing and anxious rejection of western products and values
		OTOKO					Kenka Matsuri, Julianas, Gaman, Takarazuka, Trans America Ultra Quiz		Both sexes cling with an astoninglishly tenacity to their traditional roles. National values and seemingly eternal validities slow down overdue changes.
		ONNA					Julianas, Onyanko Club, Geisha, Office Lady, Takarazuka, "Burikko" Girls, "Okaasan", Radio Announcements		Female pop idols are often rather frankly designed as either childlike Lolitas or naive, but well hearted mothers.
		FANTASIA					Godzilla, Manga, Anime, Nintendo, Miyazaki Hayao, Ultraman, Children's Television		The immense production of fantasy stories in Japan is overwhelming and a well known fact worldwide. The study of those products allow an insight to wishes and fears of the (average) Japanese, - or at least, what the big companies think it is.
		GROUP					Family (Tora-san, Sazae-san), Tourism, Karaoke, "Purikura"		The Japanese seem to define their person mainly by belonging to a group; therefore to me - as a strongly individually thinking person - some of the behavior and way of acting looks very unfamiliar and uncomprehensible.
		SHIZEN					Zen Garden, Bonsai, "Zoosan", "Hachiko", Whale Catching, Plastic Food, Raw Food, "Tonari no Tottoro", Sport, Tamagotchi, Space		Nature between "kirei" and "kowai": Design, artificiality and usage of the natural environs Nature gods and natural power in shinto