The Electric Geisha's title is a euphemism for that seemingly inexplicable phenomenon, karaoke, which, like other customs, involves a complex agenda of escapism and ritual. Written by Japanese cultural critics, this book of 25 essays amiably and straightforwardly corrects many false impressions of Japanese life.
The Japan of today is in many ways like the Japan of 400 years ago. Most of the current social structure and customs originated or crystallized at the start of the 17th century, during the peaceful but restrictive Edo period. History itself can be read in the minutiae of everyday life: personal gestures, architecture, and cultural mores.
Unlike in Europe and America, Japan's economy, commercial infrastructure, urban condensation, and technological outlook were well synchronized 400 years ago. These factors produced a Japan that is information- ready and technophilic. But they have societal costs. Intense cultural debates reveal a struggle between two entrenched and competing Japanese attributes: the love of new things and of tradition.
What we need are more books like this for the rest of the world.
The Electric Geisha, edited by Atsushi Ueda, US$22.00. Kodansha International: (800) 788 6262, +1 (201) 933 9292.
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