Aesthetics of Japanese Convenience Stores: From the Point of “Eating Alone”
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
J Muu elektroninen julkaisu
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Author
Date
2020
Department
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Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
Pages 14-27
Series
POPULAR INQUIRY: The Journal of the Aesthetics of Kitsch, Camp and Mass Culture, 1/2020
Abstract
Convenience stores in Japan have a history of over 40 years. It is thought that they have greatly influenced Japanese ways of life. However, convenience stores are rarely the subject of research in aesthetics. This may be because convenience stores are bright and transparent, incompatible with traditional Japanese aesthetics of shadow in close proximity to light. They are also accused of selling so-called "convenience food," one of the causes of unhealthy "solitary eating," or “eating alone.” From this point of view the food comics Hitori Gohan (Eating Alone) sold at convenience stores is interesting because the subject of solitary eating is the exact problem of convenience stores. Does Hitori Gohan show darkness or shadows of convenience stores? My hypothesis is that Hitori Gohan contains light, not just darkness of solitude. After testing this hypothesis directly against the manga and its readers, I conclude what the aesthetic stance is in today’s Japanese conven-ience stores in comparison to sabi, a Japanese traditional aesthetic value, and its contemporary version, mabusabi, which closely relate to the solitude.Description
Keywords
Japanese convenience stores, shadow aesthetics, food comics, eating alone (solitary eating), mabusabi
