Visiting Japan is on my bucket list. I want to see the beautiful garden in Hiroshima that marks the spot of ground zero. I want to go there to see for myself this nation of people who pulled themselves up after a huge defeat and came back stronger than ever. Whose creativity has affected the wider world in surprising ways. Whose adherence to the ceremonial practices of old cements their image as a people who admire respect, loyalty, privacy, innovation and determination.
What do I really know about Japan? Not a whole bunch. I know there some 'extreme' practices over there that have spawned countless internet memes, perhaps even the concept of internet memes itself (the Japanese image board '2chan' inspired '4chan', which then led to funny aggregate sites such as Ebaums and the Chive). I know they have boundary-pushing game shows and commercials that would never air on mainstream American television (MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, tame compared to other shows, became Wipeout on this continent). I know that a large part of their population regularly read mangas on the way to work, a practice looked down on in North America, more often than not. Most importantly, I know that when Japan jumped into the video game market, the whole world felt the effect and we owe them our gratitude.
In this course I aim to learn all I can about the Japanese to better understand how they raced to the forefront of technological advance to give the world such amazing video games. The first task is to analyse readings relevant to the topic, which I will do in subsequent posts. It is my homework, frankly. That doesn't mean I won't try to make it an entertaining read, seeing as the topic is video games. I am by no means an authority but I know what games I like and why. If that interests you, enjoy!
-btw this is my first blog
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