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'Kawaii' Culture Impresario and Award-winning Author of New Graphic Travel Companion Help Navigate Coolest and Most Colorful Fun in Tokyo

Cool Tokyo: Harajuku, Akihabara and Beyond

Tuesday, May 8, 2018, 6:30pm, at Japan Society


New York, NY – Tokyo is the epicenter of Japan's latest trends, from the famously outrageous Harajuku fashion district to the latest high-tech gadgetry, manga and anime available in the Akihabara district. With so much to explore in this vibrant, fast-paced city, it can be hard to know where to start.

In Cool Tokyo: Harajuku, Akihabara and Beyond, Sebastian Masuda, visual artist, kawaii (cute culture) entrepreneur and founder of the Harajuku shop 6%DokiDoki, and Abby Denson, comic book artist and author of Cool Tokyo Guide: Adventures in the City of Kawaii Fashion, Train Sushi and Godzilla (Tuttle Publishing, 2018), help navigate Tokyo's endless supply of street fashion and food, kawaii and cosplay meccas, subway and shrine etiquette, endless supply of vending machine wares, and much more. The talk takes place Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 pm at Japan Society and is followed by a book signing reception.

Masuda, who participated in Japan Society's 2015 talk, Kawaii Meets Art and Fashion: An Evening with Sebastian Masuda and is the mastermind behind the worldwide public art installations Time After Time Capsule to be unveiled at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, has been drawing attention recently for his latest venture Kawaii Monster Café, an American celebutante hotspot in the Shibuya district. In this talk, Masuda discusses how Harajuku, kawaii culture and Tokyo's outré fashion landscape have evolved in the last decade.

Abby Denson shares her experiencing researching, writing and illustrating her graphic Tokyo travel guide Cool Tokyo Guide. According to the publishers, "this practical and fun comic book guide also helps you navigate everyday Tokyo life such as train etiquette, trash disposal, tricky toilets, department store fitting rooms, and the surgical mask phenomenon." Denson introduces readers to "a restaurant where clowns drive robots and mermaids ride on sharks, fantastic shops for lovers of everything from vintage manga to dollar-store treasures, great places to take kids—or be a kid, of any age—like the Ghibli Museum and Palette Town, famous sites both old and new, from Sensoji Temple to Tokyo Tower, and must-visit spots like Ueno Park and even a few spots outside the city."

Wandering Educators said of Denson's book, "From Tokyo travel basics (getting around, survival skills) to culture shock funnies, eating, hotels, entertainment, cultural sites, family travel tips, and more (Ghibli Museum!), this guide is a captivating read — I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!" Library Journal wrote, "the author's appealing illustrations range from restaurant gimmicks, such as a clown driving robotic ladies, to beautiful Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines… helpful when planning a trip to Japan or for pure 'stay at home' entertainment."

Abby Denson is the author of Cool Tokyo Guide, Cool Japan Guide, Dolltopia (which garnered an International Manga Award and a Moonbeam Children's Book Award), and Tough Love: High School Confidential, which was originally serialized in XY Magazine. She has scripted comics for Amazing Spider-Man Family, Powerpuff Girls Comics, Simpsons Comics, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, Disney Adventures, and many others. City Sweet Tooth, her blog about food and travel has run since 2008. She has taught and lectured at various venues including the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, Eugene Lang College at The New School, and Sophia University in Tokyo. More at abbydenson.com.

Sebastian Masuda was born in 1970. After being part of a theater and avant-garde art group in the early 1990s, Masuda opened "6%DOKIDOKI" in Harajuku. 6%DOKIDOKI is a store that prides itself in being the forerunner of the "Sensational Kawaii" movement. Through their world tours titled "Harajuku Kawaii Experience" which started in 2009, the store and brand has also succeeded on spreading its own unique fashion style and Japanese "kawaii" culture on a global scale. With this, Masuda became the poster child of Harajuku and kawaii culture, and began receiving attention as not only a shop owner, but also as an artist. In 2011, Masuda made his debut as an art director for Japanese pop icon "Kyary Pamyu Pamyu" (who also happened to be a fan of 6%DOKIDOKI)'s debut single, "PON PON PON". He also acted as an art director for her singles "Tsukematsukeru", "Fashion Monster", and "Furisodeshon," as well as her tour. Sebastian Masuda continues to be active as an artist and art director, contextualizing Harajuku and kawaii culture into his work.

Japan Society's Talks+ Program examines vital issues and themes in modern Japanese art, culture and design. Programming is designed to inform and to provide a gateway through which Americans can appreciate the powerful global influence of Japan's culture and its many trend-defining artisans. Programs bring together experts and practitioners for provocative discussions on diverse topics including aesthetics, consumer culture and cuisine. More at www.japansociety.org/programs/talks.

Founded in 1907, Japan Society in New York City presents sophisticated, topical and accessible experiences of Japanese art and culture, and facilitates the exchange of ideas, knowledge and innovation between the U.S. and Japan. More than 200 events annually encompass world-class exhibitions, dynamic classical and cutting-edge contemporary performing arts, film premieres and retrospectives, workshops and demonstrations, tastings, family activities, language classes, and a range of high-profile talks and expert panels that present open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia.

During the 2017-18 season, Japan Society celebrates its 110th anniversary with expanded programming that builds toward a richer, more globally interconnected 21st century: groundbreaking creativity in the visual and performing arts, unique access to business insiders and cultural influencers, and critical focus on social and educational innovation, illuminating our world beyond borders.

Cool Tokyo: Harajuku, Akihabara and Beyond takes place Tuesday, May 8 at 6:30pm. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway at Grand Central or the E and M subway at Lexington Avenue). Tickets are $14/$11 Japan Society members, seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased in person at Japan Society, by visiting www.japansociety.org, or by calling the box office at 212-715-1258. For more information, call 212-832-1155 or visit the website.

Talks+ Programs at Japan Society are generously sponsored by Delta Air Lines and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). Additional support is provided by Chris A. Wachenheim and the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund.

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