Chanpon.org
(From KJ #63)

Promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding through the support of a hybrid community at the intersection of Japanese, US, and other cultures.

Chanpon.org is a site devoted to the mixture of Japanese culture with other cultures. In addition to a web log that any reader can comment on, chanpon.org supports a mailing list and events for registered members.
Chanpon is a Japanese word meaning a mixture of disparate things. One common usage is in 'Nagasaki chanpon' which is a noodle dish developed in the international port city of Nagasaki, where a mixture of ingredients such as fish, vegetable, and meat are tossed together.
Among the international community in Tokyo, the word chanpon is used to describe the blending of Japanese and English (as in 'it's so oishii ne.'), distinct from more mainstream forms of bilingualism, which involve switching between one or the other language.

Chanpon is a celebration of the space at the intersection of cultures, where multiple viewpoints are embraced without necessarily resolving into a coherent whole. Chanpon identity means being able to navigate and embrace different cultural styles simultaneously; it means not only direct experience with multiple cultures, but being able to blend them into a unique and tasty combination. Chanpon culture is a third culture that is not wholly defined by any mainstream national cultures, but can function as a bridge between them and a source of inspiration, innovation, and cross-cultural understanding.

Chanpon.org was started by a group of alumni from the American School in Japan and Nishimachi International School, who felt that we could use the Internet to support a cultural mix that is like what we grew up with as part of the international community in Tokyo. Practically speaking, this means that we are a group of people that have had long-term experience with Japanese and at least one other culture.
While providing resources to the general public, the heart of this site is member generated and member supported. We encourage you to get involved and to contribute to the site in any way you can, by joining the discussion, submitting some writing, launching a project, or providing a donation.

Chanpon.org is administered by the Momoko Ito Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which Joi Ito, Mimi Ito, and Scott Fisher set up in memory of their mother.

2005 10 11
Anime and Learning Japanese Culture
by Mizuko Ito

In her master's thesis submitted to the East Asian Studies Center at USC, Annie Manion argues that among college students in the US, anime has become one of the most important drivers of interest in Japan and Japanese language study. Drawing from surveys and interviews of students taking Japanese language classes and anime club members, Manion suggests that "there is a good deal of overlap" between young people studying Japanese and those involved with the anime fan community. Over half of Japanese language students cited "understanding Japanese anime, music, etc." as one reason they are taking a Japanese class.

“... over the last few years the type of student interest in Japan has been changing. Where in the past Japanese language programs attracted people interested in learning about Japanese economic growth and business practices, recently Japanese language students seem more interested in Japanese culture. A recent article for the Wall Street Journal addressed the trend, saying that in the past nine years, the majority of Japanese language students at the University of Georgia are no longer international business majors, but rather Japanese culture fanatics.”

In line with other research by scholars such as Susan Napier or Anne Allison, Annie has found that national origin is not necessarily what attracts young people to anime. But she has also found that once someone becomes an anime fan, they often develop an interest in learning more about Japan. "The fact is that people who like anime, depending on their exposure to Japanese culture, tend to like many aspects of Japanese culture, from popular to traditional, as well, and develop at some point either the desire to learn Japanese or visit Japan."

I had been hearing a lot of anecdotal information from faculty and students at USC about how the tide has shifted in the kinds of interests that bring young Americans to an interest in Japan. While anime is not the only type of Japanese popular culture that has gotten interest among American children and youth, it is probably the most dominant. Annie's thesis makes a strong case about these trends. She also argues that it is high time we took anime seriously in the academy as an ambassador for Japanese culture. She notes that anime continues to be marginalized in the US despite its broad appeal among young people. "Because of this many young people are not encouraged to pursue their interest in anime, and it is still uncommon for anime to be used in formal classroom settings as a means to teach about Japan." As a member of the academy who is researching and teaching about anime, I couldn't agree more.

2005 12 01
Fortune Finds Otaku
by Mizuko Ito

This week's Fortune features an article, Anime Explosion on the growth of the anime and otaku market in the US. The gist of the message is that US companies catering to the otaku market have a unique formula for success that involves listening to fans and fandom esoterica, and embracing the latest distribution technologies. This includes a truce with online fansubbers and filesharing, where online distribution is tolerated until the show is licensed in the US, after which fansubbers will voluntary take their files down.

A few numbers jumped out at me. Conventions: Otakon in Baltimore was sold out this year with 22,000 fans. Anime Explo in Anaheim had 33,000. Anime and manga are now a $625 million industry in N. American retail. The output of the top US DVD distributor in the US, ADV, is more than the combined DVD distribution of Warner Brothers and Paramount, the top two US TV show distributors. No wonder Fortune is paying attention.

* * *
Dr. Mizuko Ito, one of the founders of chanpon.org, is a cultural anthropologist at the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California, and a visiting associate professor at the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance. In 1998, she received a Ph.D. from the Department of Education at Stanford University for her dissertation: Interactive Media for Play: Kids, Computer Games and the Productions of Everyday Life. In 2003, she received a Ph.D. from the Department of Anthropology for her dissertation: Engineering Play: Children’s Software and the Productions of Everyday Life." With Matsuda Misa and Okabe Daisuke, Ito edited Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life (MIT Press, 2005)

—Ken Rodgers

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