On Culture and Technology in Postmodern Japan

Najita, Tetsuo

doi:10.1215/9780822381556-003

Cited by 23 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Finally, Japanese modernization is considered "technocentric": it focuses on achievements in developing new technologies, partially as an expression of the exceptionalism of Japanese culture (Najita, T. 1989). This is one of the reasons technology in general and robots in particular are such an integral part of Japanese pop culture and regarded as solutions to social problems; the latter case can be illustrated by the fact that the Japanese government decided to solve its demographic problems by developing care robots rather than by enlisting the help of immigrant care workers for the elderly.…”

Section: The Antinaturalist Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of naturalist and antinaturalist explanations for why people consider robots animate and experience emotions towards them

Musiał

2022

FRL

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An interesting aspect of love and sex (and other types of interactions) with robots is that human beings often treat robots as animate and express emotions towards them. In this paper, we discuss two interpretations of why people experience emotions towards robots and tend to treat them as animate: naturalistic and antinaturalistic. We first provide a set of examples that illustrate human beings considering robots animate and experiencing emotions towards them. We then identify, reconstruct and compare naturalist and antinaturalist accounts of these attitudes and point out the functions and limitations of these accounts. Finally, we argue that in the case of emotional and ‘animating’ human–robot interactions, naturalist and antinaturalist accounts should be – as they most often are – considered complementary rather than competitive or contradictory.

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Section: The Antinaturalist Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of naturalist and antinaturalist explanations for why people consider robots animate and experience emotions towards them

Musiał

2022

FRL

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“…Similarly, a Japanese thought specialist Najita Tetsuro of Chicago University states that Japan has a long history of the importation of knowledge and technology by arranging for them to fit in with Japanese culture, which is a combination often referred to as wakon yosai (Japanese soul and western knowledge) (Najita, 1989). Najita argues that there has been a particular perception of knowledge and technology in Japan from the beginning of its modernization process:…”

Section: The Nuclear Village and The Modern Machinementioning

confidence: 99%

Reflection, the Public, and the Modern Machine: An Investigation of the Fukushima Disaster in Relation to the Concepts of Truth and Morality

Shimizu¹

2017

Japanese Journal of Political Science

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In March 2011, Japan suffered a massive earthquake. The resultant tsunami hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor and it was later revealed that the reactor was actually in a state of meltdown. While it is still unclear how many people will be affected, both mentally and physically, by the radio-active fallout, the extent to which our lives are subject to the unimaginable risks of scientific technology has become patently clear. This paper strives to clarify the risks of scientific technology in relation to instrumental reason, critical thinking, plurality, and subsequently, the significance of the public realm in contemporary world affairs, with a specific focus on the Fukushima incident. In so doing, I shall introduce arguments regarding scientific technology by such thinkers as Arendt, Heidegger, and Horkheimer as well as the Kyoto School philosophers. This paper also focuses on the issue of morality in order to address the notion of the lack of critical thinking and the disappearance of the public.

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“…This belief shifted during and after the war. The Japanese became aware that technology sprang from culture, and specifically, technological excellence, as a representation of cultural exceptionalism (Najita, 1989). The popularity of Japanese cultural industries in foreign markets enlightened Japan’s government to the fact that culture could be both a profitable export item and a way to boost Japan’s image overseas.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is the Video Game a Cultural Vehicle?

Chen

2013

Games and Culture

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Following the exportation of Japanese media products such as TV dramas, Japanese culture and products have swept across many Asian countries, especially Taiwan. Based on the historical background and unique characteristics of games, this study investigates the cultural effect of Japanese video games on players in Taiwan. This study also presents an analysis of the differences between TV and the video game as cultural vehicles. We used both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results indicate a relationship between game-playing behavior and the identification of Japanese culture. However, the relationship between video game playing and consumption was nonsignificant. This shows the power of video games in nation-building but not in nation-branding, in contrast with TV. This study presents a discussion of the findings to shed light on the cultural effects of video games.

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On Culture and Technology in Postmodern Japan

Cited by 23 publications

References 0 publications

A comparison of naturalist and antinaturalist explanations for why people consider robots animate and experience emotions towards them

A comparison of naturalist and antinaturalist explanations for why people consider robots animate and experience emotions towards them

Reflection, the Public, and the Modern Machine: An Investigation of the Fukushima Disaster in Relation to the Concepts of Truth and Morality

Is the Video Game a Cultural Vehicle?

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