Friday, 11 April 1997. The morning started off with a WWW foray into Monkey Punch's web site.
From there, we got a look at Japanese pre-WWII popular culture, a period marred by some very controversial nationalistic leanings. One session concentrated on war propaganda art of the painted variety (presented by John Pavia and Nancy Brcak of Ithaca College), and another session (by Richard Negron, Central Washington University) concentrated on manga images from the pre-WWII era.
The next block of presentations took a look at somewhat controversial modern trends. Robert Hamilton, of the University of Windsor, discussed simulated female idols and computer-based sex games. The popularity of adult male-oriented computer dating games (where one tries to date a manga character), kisekae (paper doll) programs (some of which range into the more sexually perverted fields), and rendered computer graphic women may be signs that a significant number of men find interaction with fictitious women safer and more entertaining than real women. Unfortunately, no data about how women interact with fictitious men was available.
Next, Ted Ekering provided a look at the world of the "otaku," the obsessive fan of (in this case) anime. A sensationalistic Western TV clip depicted the otaku as a pathetic nerd, a victim of the alien Japanese culture. Ted Ekering went on to personally show off some otaku fashion trends (such as anime convention name cards). During the question-and-answer period, members of the audience expressed concern about the perceived fascination with fictitious, controllable people over real people, especially women. This led to a brief shouting match (in the audience) whose fame quickly spread throughout the conference.
After the friction of the previous session, William Lee and then Mariko Yamaguchi's separate presentations focusing on the family humor manga SAZAE-SAN were downright relaxing. SAZAE-SAN is a family-centered, non-plot oriented manga that has been a two-decade success on Japanese TV. Though originally almost feminist in content, the formula now depends on a traditional, conservative image of a multi-generational household where the father holds ultimate power — a household type that is now in the minority in Japan. In contrast, CRAYON SHIN-CHAN, with its bratty young child main character, seems more popular among Japan's newest and perhaps most rebellious generation.
The day's sessions were wrapped up with an overseas conference call to Japan with the creator of LUPIN III, Monkey Punch (Kato Kazuhiko). Monkey Punch is known as a pioneer with using computer graphics in his manga (as well as on his Web site, www.monkeypunch.com). Though originally scheduled to come to the conference in person, he was forced to remain at home due to a sudden health problem. Thanks to some inspiration, a phone connection, and Fred Schodt's simultaneous translations, the conference participants were nevertheless able to speak with him. Among the questions asked were (approximately): "Why do you have the name Monkey Punch?" to which he replied that it was his publishers' idea, because his artwork had a strong Western influence in it and they wanted to give his name some ambiguity. He himself was originally not fond of the name. "What advice do you have for an aspiring mangaka?" another person asked. His reply was, "Draw lots of manga and draw what you enjoy."

Saturday, 12 April 1997. This was the last day of the conference. Some highlights from the sessions I attended:
Michael Raine, of Meiji University and the University of Iowa, presented a look at Ishihara Yujiro, a popular male idol of 1950's Japan, an example of how a personality could be sold to the public. John Williams, of Nagoya University, showed how films about war made in the 1950's often had a more profound and meaningful message than do the "fluffier" war films of today. And Lee Makela, of Cleveland State University, took a look at postmodernistic (fragmented, decentralized, indeterminate) elements in the films of Iwai Shunji. John Leo introduced the audience to Japanese TV drama, while Hilaria Goessmann, of the University of Trier, took a deeper look at how gender roles have been portrayed in recent TV dramas (it seems that some recent shows have begun accepting the idea of men as caring fathers and women as career women).
The final presentation I attended was by Jayson Chun, of the University of Oregon, on the marriage of the Emperor soon after World War II. It eerily echoed much of the speculation that happened over the more recent Imperial marriage: speculation about how Japan was entering the modern era, about an advancement for women (since both brides were considered intelligent and well-educated and "modern"), and about the place of the Imperial household in Japanese society. The media frenzy around the marriage also signaled the coming-of-age of the media: the Emperor was no longer the distant monarch for whom one should sacrifice oneself, but a media star and a target of gossip. The Empress, meanwhile, despite her modern attire, soon became lost in shadow and, in one photo, was still obliged to walk behind her husband carrying both their tennis rackets.
And thus it is with Japan: the old mixed with the new. In learning about Japanese popular culture, present and past, I saw how both Japanese history and world history, as well as both individuals and large-scale trends, have contributed to forming what we see today. Even if one is only watching the newest and flashiest anime videos, the echoes of Japanese tradition, history, culture, and search for identity still come seeping into the images, words, music, and the very story line itself. To fully appreciate the medium, we must look at the underlying culture see what influenced it... and sometimes we wind up looking back at ourselves, and realizing that we will influence and help shape the culture of tomorrow.

(The author would like to once again thank the conference organizers as well as the participants for a wonderful and educational experience. And yes, Victoria was really nice. My biggest regret is that I couldn't stay longer.)