Sone Japanese Robot Culture

Performance, Imagination, and Modernity
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-1-137-52527-7
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan US
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 273 Seiten

Reihe: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

Japanese Robot Culture examines social robots in Japan, those in public, domestic, and artistic contexts. Unlike other studies, this book sees the robot in relation to Japanese popular culture, and argues that the Japanese 'affinity' for robots is the outcome of a complex loop of representation and social expectation in the context of Japan's continuing struggle with modernity. Considering Japanese robot culture from the critical perspectives afforded by theatre and performance studies, this book is concerned with representations of robots and their inclusion in social and cultural contexts, which science and engineering studies do not address. The robot as a performing object generates meaning in staged events and situations that make sense for its Japanese observers and participants. This book examines how specific modes of encounter with robots in carefully constructed mises en scène can trigger reflexive, culturally specific, and often ideologically-inflected responses. 

Dr Yuji Sone is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Music, Communication, and Cultural Studies at Macquarie University in Australia. He teaches theatre and performance studies courses with an emphasis on praxis in relation to cultural studies and media studies; he is also a performer and dramaturge.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sone, Yuji

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Acknowledgements;6
2;Contents;9
3;List of Figures;11
4;1: Introduction: The Japanese Robot and Performance;12
4.1;Japanese Culture and the Robot;16
4.1.1;Defining the Robot;16
4.1.2;The History of the Japanese Performing Robot;18
4.1.3;Japanese Modernity and Technology;22
4.2;Theatre and Performance Concepts Through Japanese Culture;25
4.2.1;Performativity and Geinoh;25
4.2.2;The Performing Object and Staging;27
4.3;Double Vision;29
4.3.1;Participatory Spectatorship;29
4.4;In This Book;32
4.5;Notes;35
4.6;References;39
5;2: Robotics and Representation;48
5.1;Japanese Humanoid Research;53
5.2;Japanese Robotics and Manga/Anime Culture;56
5.3;Astro Boy Syndrome;60
5.4;The Presence of the Japanese Humanoid;62
5.5;Notes;65
5.6;References;67
6;3: Futuristic Spectacle: Robot Performances at Expos;72
6.1;Robot Spectacle at the Japan World Expo, 1970;76
6.2;Celebrating Japan´s Robots: The Tsukuba Exposition, 1985;80
6.3;Nature and Technology: Garden and Greenery Exposition, Osaka, 1990;82
6.4;Integration and Fantasy: Expo 2005 in Aichi;84
6.5;Cultural Essentialism and Dramaturgy: In Tokyo and on the Australian Tour, 2007;86
6.6;Notes;94
6.7;References;96
7;4: The Anthropomorphic Robot and Artistic Expression;100
7.1;Oriza Hirata´s Robot Theatre;102
7.2;The Failure of Sayonara;107
7.3;Hiroshi Ishiguro´s Android Experiments;109
7.4;Cultural Affordance and Preconceived Outcomes;115
7.5;Robots and Disillusionment;117
7.6;Notes;121
7.7;References;123
8;5: Robots, Space, and Place;127
8.1;Giant Robot Statues;128
8.2;Dreams of a Giant Robot;133
8.3;Robot Restaurant;138
8.4;Notes;144
8.5;References;144
9;6: Hatsune Miku, Virtual Machine-Woman;149
9.1;The Development of Hatsune Miku;151
9.2;Japanese Fanzine Culture and Otaku;154
9.3;Lolicon Manga and Otaku Desire;157
9.4;Critique of the Otaku Imagination;159
9.5;Kawaii and Female Idols;161
9.6;Circuits of Signification: Otaku Sexuality;167
9.7;Notes;169
9.8;References;172
10;7: Competition Robots: Empathy and Identification;177
10.1;Robot Contests;178
10.2;Robo-One;179
10.3;The Puppet, the Puppeteer, and the Spectator;181
10.4;Robots as Mediators;183
10.5;Continuum: Organic Beings and Inanimate Objects;185
10.6;The Human, the Monkey, the Robot, the Other;186
10.7;Bacarobo and Humour;188
10.8;Space, Community, and Audience;190
10.9;Clowning and Forms of Comedy;192
10.10;Satire and Modoki;194
10.11;Notes;195
10.12;References;198
11;8: Robots that `Care´;200
11.1;The Socially Assistive Robot;201
11.2;Aibo´s Design;206
11.3;Communication with Paro;210
11.4;The Institutionalised Other;213
11.5;Fandom: Living with Robots;215
11.6;Notes;217
11.7;References;220
12;9: Epilogue: Staging a Robot Nation;226
12.1;Notes;232
12.2;References;233
13;References;234
14;Index;263