Blog Assignment #9

I attended an interesting event this past Monday; it was a talk by Dr. Keita Moore from Ohio State University titled Space Invasion: The Birth of the Japanese Arcade and the Politics of Public Space. I like video games, and I am interested in learning more about Japanese culture, so this seemed like an event that would be right up my alley!

Dr. Keita Moore is a very smart man. The concepts that he discusses are very complex, intellectually challenging, and at times, difficult for me to wrap my head around. From his talk I have a basic understanding of his argument that play is not an apolitical activity; rather, it is fundamentally oriented by specific situated social politics. An example he gives is the complex interplay of the "fu-e-ho" (the law regulating entertainment in Japan) and the formation of public machine-based play, particularly in arcades. He explains how this law literally drew public play into the realm of politics by setting boundaries around where, when, and by whom certain forms of play could occur, demonstrating how politics always lay at the heart of Japanese public play. But I feel that I have barely scratched the surface on this topic. Dr. Moore is releasing a book on this exact topic (and more!) in several months/years, I believe. I would be interested in learning more about his work!

わたし は うち に かえります。

うち で ねます。

それから、わたし は ともだち の へや に いきます。

それから、ともだち の へや で えいが を みます。

わたし は えいが が すき です。

だから、よく えいが を みます。