On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, we’re talking about depictions of Japan and Japanese people on popular American TV shows with Dr. Alisa Freedman.
About Dr. Alisa Freedman
Alisa Freedman is a Professor of Japanese Literature, Cultural Studies, and Gender at the University of Oregon and the Editor-in-Chief of the U.S.–Japan Women’s Journal. Her books include Tokyo in Transit: Japanese Culture on the Rails and Road, an annotated translation of Kawabata Yasunari’s The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa, and co-edited volumes on Modern Girls on the Go: Gender, Mobility, and Labor in Japan, and Introducing Japanese Popular Culture. She has published widely on Japanese modernism, Tokyo studies, youth culture, gender, television, humor as social critique, teaching pedagogies, and digital media, along with publishing translations of Japanese literature. Alisa has been nationally recognized for excellence in mentoring and enjoys presenting at cultural events like anime cons and Japan festivals.
Topics Discussed
- About Japan on American TV: Screaming Samurai Join Anime Clubs in the Land of the Lost
- About depictions of Japan and Japanese people in American TV shows
- The taboo regarding the depiction of the Japanese royal family in Japanese media
- Self-censorship in Japan and Japanese media
- How Japanese mainstream media stays away from political topics
- About the Japanese version of SNL that aired in 2011
- The variety show Pink Lady (and Jeff)
- How trends and tropes have shaped the depictions of Japan and Japanese people on American TV shows
- How Marie Kondo presents herself as both “Japanese” and “American”
- About Queer Eye: We’re in Japan!
- About the SNL skit JPop America Fun Time Now
- The influence of Japanese pop culture on the generation that grew up consuming it
- About Big Bird in Japan
- And much more!
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Special Thanks
Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi) To listen to more of Yunomi’s music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.
Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.
Featured image: Courtesy of Alisa Freedman
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Full Show Notes
Get the full version of show notes at https://japankyo.com/category/podcasts/japanstation/
