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Material Dreams: Techno-Utopic Visions in Japan's 1960s and 1970s Plastic Model Culture

Research Project

Project/Area Number 26380719
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Research Field Sociology
Research InstitutionDoshisha University (2016)
Osaka University of Economics (2014-2015)

Principal Investigator

KATSUNO Hirofumi  同志社大学, 社会学部, 准教授 (20580749)

Project Period (FY) 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥90,000)
Fiscal Year 2015: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000)
Fiscal Year 2014: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Keywords近代 / メディア文化 / 未来図 / プラモデル / 高度成長期 / ユートピア / テクノナショナリズム / ポピュラー文化 / 少年文化 / ミリタリー文化 / 社会学 / 男性性 / 科学文化
Outline of Final Research Achievements

The beginning of large-scale production of plastic in the high growth period ushered in an age characterized by a lifestyle based upon mass production and consumption in Japan. It was introduced to produce various kinds of products, bringing about a substantial change in the society’s material lives. In the realm of popular culture, this new material introduced the first Japan-made plastic model in 1958. While the plastic model had developed as an ornamental hobby for adult in its birthplace Europe, in Japan it played a central role to form a new boy’s culture after the post-war years of recovery. This study focuses on the boom of plastic model in the high growth era, analyzing how building and possessing plastic models became a way by which boys in Japan could participate in the construction of techno-utopic visions. It also analyzes how such visions became a reconstructive site of technology and masculinity in the context of postwar modernization.

Report

(4 results)
  • 2016 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2015 Research-status Report
  • 2014 Research-status Report

Research Products

(3 results)

All 2017 2016

All Presentation (2 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results) Book (1 results)

  • [Presentation] Material Dreams : techno-utopic visions in Japan’s 1960s and 1970s plastic model culture2016

    • Author(s)
      勝野宏史
    • Organizer
      AAS-In-Asia
    • Place of Presentation
      同志社大学
    • Year and Date
      2016-06-24
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Utopia in Plastic : techno-utopic visions in Japan’s 1960s and 1970s plastic model culture2016

    • Author(s)
      Hirofumi Katsuno
    • Organizer
      The Association for Asian Studies (AAS-in-ASIA)
    • Place of Presentation
      同志社大学
    • Year and Date
      2016-06-24
    • Related Report
      2015 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Book] Introducing Japanese Popular Culture2017

    • Author(s)
      Alisa Freedman and Toby Slade編
    • Publisher
      Routledge
    • Related Report
      2016 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2014-04-04   Modified: 2018-03-22  

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