From the karaoke machine and the Walkman to Hello Kitty and the Game Boy, Japan's cultural influence can be felt almost everywhere.
That's the theory put forward by our guest on Deep Dive this week, Matt Alt, the author of the recently published book, "Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World."
Taking its title from a quote by Oscar Wilde, "Pure Invention" is a cultural history of postwar Japan, told through the lens of the country's superstar inventions and how they spread across the globe. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.
Read/hear more:
- More from Matt Alt
- Pac-Man: How a faceless character based on eating changed video game history (Russell Thomas, The Japan Times)
- Founder of Hello Kitty creator Sanrio steps down after 60-year stint (The Japan Times)
- On Walkman's 40th anniversary, Sony opens retro exhibition in Ginza (Hinano Kobayashi, The Japan Times)
- Episode 50: How the 'murder hornet' got its name (Deep Dive)
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