Image Factory — Japan x Trends x Culture By Donald Richie / Translated by Kazuya Matsuda, Seidosha This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy the world of Sofia Coppola's film "Lost in Translation." Donald Richie, a pioneer in introducing Japanese films to the world and someone who has observed Japan for many years, vividly portrays the "surface (image)" of contemporary Japan in this cultural study. Pachinko, kawaii, cosplay, mobile phones... The numerous "symbols" that fill the neon lights and cityscapes of Tokyo, as captured by Sofia in her film. Richie doesn't dismiss them as empty and hollow, but rather embraces them as a unique aesthetic of "Japan, where the image itself has become culture." • The Gaze of a Foreigner: The unique sense of floating and loneliness experienced when only receiving superficial "images" in a city where you don't understand the language. • Analysis of Kawaii: Why do young Japanese people cling so much to the symbol of "cute"? A sharp examination of the psychology behind it. • Portrait of a City: The atmosphere of Tokyo around the 2000s, when consumer society reached its peak, is vividly recorded. Thank you for viewing.