The nationwide release of the arcade version of Pac-Man in July 1980 marked a pioneering moment in the history of video games, introducing a rare nonviolent character for players to control and sowing the seeds for a cultural and commercial legacy that continues to endure to this day.
What can we learn from 'Made in Japan'? by He Jun (Japan Times)
The Japan-South Korea trade friction revealed that South Korean companies, even though they have dominated the semiconductor market for many years, still need Japanese suppliers in the semiconductor industry. That means Japanese companies can easily exert pressure on the Korean giants. Has the world been underestimating Japan’s companies — not to mention the country’s economic strength and technological innovation?
'Pure Invention': How Japan's pop culture became the 'lingua franca' of the internet by Matt Schley (Japan Times)
Toys. Video games. Portable music players. Kawaii characters. Anime. When it comes to modern pop culture, we’ve all turned Japanese.
PELLETS, GHOSTS AND THE YAKUZA: THE JOURNEY OF PAC-MAN by Derek Faraci (High Score)
It's hard to imagine a world without Pac-Man.. That yellow pellet eating machine has burned himself into the pop-culture consciousness in a way few fictional characters have. From the initial video game that ate up as many quarters as the titular hero ate cherries, to cartoons, shirts, toys, and the endless supply of merchandise. The game even had a song that reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. How bonkers is that?
How Japan’s global image morphed from military empire to eccentric pop-culture superpower by Marc Bain (Quartz)
In just a few decades, Japan’s global image has changed radically, especially in the West. Particularly in America, which has had a close and complex relationship with Japan since World War II, this image has evolved from fearsome enemy to producer of cheap cars and gadgets to, finally, whimsical creative fantasy factory.
From Astro Boy to Gundam to Ultraman, how Bandai became Japan’s top toy company by Julian Ryal (South China Morning Post)
Now 32 years old, Sho Ueda remembers the thrill he felt as a nine-year-old when his father bought him his first model from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series. With massive red-and-white shoulder protectors, powerful robotic legs and headgear reminiscent of a samurai warrior’s helmet, Ueda says he was hooked after building his first “Burning Gundam” model.
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