“Japanese Mobile Phone Culture and Urban Life” presented by Kusahara
Symposium:
Presentation Title:
- Japanese Mobile Phone Culture and Urban Life
Presenter(s):
Abstract:
Japan is known for the wide use of mobile phone. The significance is not just in its wide spread use, but rather in the fact it is a social phenomenon. Mobile phone has become an important part of culture changing the way people communicate to each other. Its application penetrates into all aspects of daily life with all possible services being available, virtually realizing what are considered the goals of wearable and ubiquitous computer society. Another important feature is that the “explosion” of mobile phones took place within a short time in late 1990, led by young generation, initially by young women in particular. Today Japanese “mobile phone culture” or “Ketai Bunka” is often considered a likely model for the coming “mobile society” in other parts of the world, especially by the industry as well as researchers in the field. It will be worth examining the mobile phone culture in Japan from social and cultural aspects in order to identity general and universal elements in the phenomenon and more culture or society related elements in it.This essay is just a first part of the research meant for the goal described above.
