Journal articles on the topic 'Japanese Breakfast (Musical group)'

We identified dish-based dietary patterns for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and assessed the diet quality of each pattern. Dietary data were obtained from 392 Japanese adults aged 20–69 years in 2013, using a 4 d dietary record. K-means cluster analysis was conducted based on the amount of each dish group, separately for breakfasts (n = 1462), lunches (n = 1504), and dinners (n = 1500). The diet quality of each dietary pattern was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3 (NRF9.3). The extracted dietary patterns were as follows: ‘bread-based’ and ‘rice-based’ for breakfast; ‘bread’, ‘rice-based’, ‘ramen’, ‘udon/soba’, and ‘sushi/rice bowl dishes’ for lunch; and ‘miscellaneous’, ‘meat dish and beer’, and ‘hot pot dishes’ for dinner. For breakfast, the HEI-2015 and NRF9.3 total scores were higher in the ‘rice-based’ pattern than the ‘bread-based’ pattern. For lunch, the HEI-2015 and NRF9.3 total scores were relatively high in the ‘rice-based’ pattern and low in the ‘ramen’ pattern. For dinner, the HEI-2015 total score was the highest in the ‘meat dish and beer’ pattern, and the NRF9.3 total score was higher in the ‘hot pot dishes’ than the ‘miscellaneous’ pattern. These results suggested that breakfast, lunch, and dinner have distinctive dietary patterns with different diet qualities.

<p>This study evaluates the effects of milk intake for 20 days at breakfast on diurnal type (chronotype), sleep habits and soccer performance in Japanese university male athletes attending a university soccer club. Seventy three athletes were asked to take 200 ml of cows’ milk at breakfast for 21 consecutive days during November and December, 2014. Twenty athletes attending the same soccer club did not drink cows’ milk for the same period of time and acted a control group.<strong> </strong>An integrated questionnaire was administered twice, before the intervention period and 1 month after it to all 93 participants. The questionnaire included questions on sleep habits and diurnal type. On the 10th day and 21st days of the intervention period, a questionnaire on performance/skill was administered to all participants. The group which drank cows’ milk showed higher frequency of improvement of soccer performance than did the control group did (performance—where higher values indicate less skill: milk drinking group=29.92, control group=31.9 on day 10; milk drinking group=28.21, control group=31.9 on day 21), and also judged that their soccer performance had improved more after 21 days than 10 days of the intervention. Those participants who changed diurnal type to becoming more morning-typed were more likely to judge that their soccer performance had improved than did those who showed no change in diurnal type.</p>

In cross-cultural research involving performers from distinct cultural backgrounds (U.K., Japan, Papua New Guinea), we examined 75&nbsp;musicians&rsquo; associations between musical sound and shape, and saw pronounced differences between groups. Participants heard short stimuli varying in pitch contour and were asked to represent these visually on paper, with the instruction that if another community member saw the marks they should be able to connect them with the sounds. Participants from the U.K. group produced consistent symbolic representations, which involved depicting the passage of time from left-to-right. Japanese participants unfamiliar with English language and western standard notation provided responses comparable to the U.K. group&rsquo;s. The majority opted to use a horizontal timeline, whilst a minority of traditional Japanese musicians produced unique responses with time represented vertically. The last group, a non-literate Papua New Guinean tribe known as BenaBena, produced a majority of iconic responses which did not follow the time versus pitch contour model, but highlighted musical qualities other than the parameters intentionally varied in the investigation, focusing on hue and loudness. The participants&rsquo; responses point to profoundly different &lsquo;norms&rsquo; of musical shape association, which may be linked to literacy and to the functional role of music in a community.&nbsp;

We examined the relative validity of food intake for each meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) and overall food intake obtained through the Meal-based Diet History Questionnaire (MDHQ). In total, 222 Japanese adults (111 for each sex) aged 30–76 years completed the web version of the MDHQ and then the 4-non-consecutive-day weighed dietary record (DR). The number of major food groups (n = 24 in total) for which no statistically significant difference was observed between median intakes estimated using the DR and MDHQ ranged from 8 (snacks) to 12 (dinner) among women, and from 8 (breakfast) to 13 (lunch) among men. The median values of the Spearman’s correlation coefficients between the MDHQ and DR estimates ranged from 0.28 (dinner) to 0.54 (breakfast) among women, and from 0.24 (dinner) and 0.60 (breakfast) among men. Bland–Altman analyses generally showed wide limits of agreement and proportional bias. Similar results were obtained using the paper version of the MDHQ, which was completed after conducting the DR. In conclusion, the MDHQ has a satisfactory ability to estimate median intake and rank individuals according to consumption for many food groups, despite a limited ability to estimate food group intakes on an individual level.

Recently, the employment rate of women in Japan has steadily increased. Approximately 80% of women experience menstrual pain and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). These symptoms decrease a woman’s quality of life and her work productivity, leading to an economic loss. This cross-sectional study of 321 healthy Japanese women aged 20–39 years aimed to clarify the lifestyle-related factors or nutrient intake that might cause menstrual pain. The participants underwent body composition measurements and completed meal survey sheets and lifestyle questionnaires, including menstrual status, exercise, sleep and breakfast consumption. Based on the questionnaire results, participants were divided into two groups according to the severity of menstrual pain, namely, heavy and light. Chi-square and Wilcoxon signed-rank sum tests were used to compare the severity of menstrual pain in the two groups. In the heavy group, the intake of animal proteins, including fish, vitamin D and vitamin B12, was significantly lower (p < 0.05), as was the frequency of breakfast consumption and bathing (p < 0.05). The rate of PMS symptoms was significantly higher in the heavy group (p < 0.05). This study suggests that a lack of animal protein, the accompanying vitamins and fatty acids, and the frequency of breakfast or bathing are associated with the severity of menstrual pain.

Abstract Using a group of Japanese-born experimental musicians who make their lives in Tokyo and New York as a case study, this article examines how new musical genres are created, shared, and mediated through layers of circulations, identities, and locations. The author argues that these musicians’ lives and music have a kind of “noisy” quality, complicating genre boundaries and identity binaries in their wake. Through ethnographic “thick descriptions” and the words of the musicians themselves, the author shows the web of musical genres, languages, geopolitical identities, and gender relations that combine to make up the texture of musical performances. This article is also thinking through and with a sea change in the study of Japanese music. In recent years, building on the work of scholars of Japanese cultural studies, ethnomusicologists have critiqued how monocultural and mono-ethnic mythologies have influenced the study and production of Japanese music. Ethnomusicology and area studies are Cold War enterprises, designed to create research that would help maintain that world order, educate Americans as global leaders, and change hearts and minds in foreign lands, leading to a cultural conservatism that often led scholars to focus on “traditional” Japanese music. Recently, however, research on Japanese music has increasingly focused on popular and experimental musics and examines how Japanese contemporary identity is created and maintained through music. Thus this article gives readers a view of how US-based Japanese music scholarship is moving away from such Cold War paradigms and contributes to this shift in studies of Japanese music and culture.

The article focuses on iconography of musical instruments of the early Middle Ages found during archeological excavations conducted in the territory of ancient Sogd in Uzbekistan and China in the late XX and early XXI centuvies.For example, some musical instruments were found in Kafirkala in 2018 by archeological expedition of Uzbek-Japanese group for the first time it investigated the view of painting musicology. Peculiarities of those musical instruments were learned, and there were conducted comparative analyses based on different scientific sources. Their organic connection with ancient musical instruments was determined. There are portrayal of musical instruments belonging to Sugd and China, and they are similar to musical instruments found in 2018 in Kafirkala. As a result of presenting some discoveries scientific news and some clarifications it was determined that composition of musical instruments belongs to the musical culture of Sugd in the first Middle Ages.

AbstractObjectiveThe number of extremely thin young women has increased and education at school on maintaining an optimal weight has become important. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of a group-based home-collaborative dietary education (HCDE) programme to maintain appropriate dietary intake compared to conventional school classroom education.DesignTwo-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. Twelve classes were randomly assigned as clusters to either the HCDE group or the control group. Each participant in the HCDE group received twelve sessions of group counselling aimed at increasing energy intake at breakfast by modifying dietary intake and adopting appropriate habits. The hypothesis underlying the study was that after 6 months of HCDE the total energy intake would be increased by 627 kJ from baseline (primary endpoint). Secondary outcomes were differences in intake of various nutrients from baseline. Outcome measures after log transformation were examined by t tests and linear mixed models (crude and baseline-adjusted).SettingYoung women among Japanese female adolescents in Tokyo.SubjectsFour hundred and seventy-four participants aged 13–15 years.ResultsStudents in twelve classes were used for analysis (n 459). Energy intake was decreased in many of the classes during the 6-month period, especially for those in the control group. After adjustment for the baseline value, significant increases in energy intake and protein, calcium, magnesium and iron intakes at breakfast were observed (P < 0·05)ConclusionsAlthough energy intake was increased in the HCDE group compared to the control group, further study of the HCDE is warranted.

This study investigated the association between parent and child sodium and potassium intakes using data from the 2016 Aomori Prefectural Health and Nutrition Survey. We analyzed one day dietary record data of 103 mothers, 94 fathers, 51 children aged 1–3 years, 39 children aged 4–6 years, 91 children aged 7–14 years, and 56 children aged 15–19 years. We also examined the association of sodium and potassium intake between co-habiting grandparents and their grandchildren. After adjusting for covariates, the total daily sodium intake in mothers was positively associated with that in children for every age group. Potassium intakes by the mothers during breakfast and dinner were positively associated with those in children aged 1–3, 4–6, and 7–14 years. The associations in sodium and potassium intakes between fathers and children were weaker. In addition, these associations were similar to those between the sodium intakes of grandchildren and their grandparents. The association between mother and child sodium and potassium intakes at breakfast and dinner was related to the consumption of similar foods, which suggests the importance of home environment in influencing total dietary sodium and potassium intake in Japanese people.

The current focus of meeting the physical activity guidelines for children and young people include preventing conditions such as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, obesity, low bone density, depression, and injuries. However, the relationship between sleep habits and meeting physical activity guidelines is still unclear. This study aimed to assess this relationship among fifth- to eighth-grade (ages 10–14) Japanese children. This cross-sectional study included 3,123 children (boys: 1,558, girls: 1,565, mean age: 12.5 ± 1.2 years). Questionnaires were used to assess parameters such as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, school and weekend night sleep durations, social jetlag, daytime sleepiness, napping, screen time, and breakfast intake. Participants were divided into an achievement and a non-achievement group depending on their physical activity guideline achievement status (i.e., whether they met the children’s physical activity guideline of 60 min or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day). Then, to determine the sleep habits in relation to the children’s achievement of guideline-recommended physical activity levels, multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. In fifth- and sixth-grade (ages 10–12) boys, an inverse association was observed between physical activity guideline achievement and daytime sleepiness. In seventh- and eighth-grade (ages 12–14) boys, physical activity guideline achievement was inversely associated with social jetlag and skipping breakfast. Additionally, in seventh- and eighth-grade girls, physical activity guideline achievement was inversely associated with inappropriate sleep duration on weekends and screen time. These results suggest that meeting the physical activity guideline is related to favorable sleep habits in Japanese children. However, their relevance may differ by school type and gender.

The brain changes flexibly due to various experiences during the developmental stages of life. Previous voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies have shown volumetric differences between musicians and nonmusicians in several brain regions including the superior temporal gyrus, sensorimotor areas, and superior parietal cortex. However, the reported brain regions depend on the study and are not necessarily consistent. By VBM, we investigated the effect of musical training on the brain structure by comparing university students majoring in music with those majoring in nonmusic disciplines. All participants were right-handed healthy Japanese females. We divided the nonmusic students into two groups and therefore examined three groups: music expert (ME), music hobby (MH), and nonmusic (NM) group. VBM showed that the ME group had the largest gray matter volumes in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; BA 44), left middle occipital gyrus (BA 18), and bilateral lingual gyrus. These differences are considered to be caused by neuroplasticity during long and continuous musical training periods because the MH group showed intermediate volumes in these regions.

Nutrition labeling on the front of food packages has been implemented worldwide to help improve public health awareness. In this randomized double-blind controlled trial, we used a Google Forms questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition labeling on food packages in university students. The questionnaire, ultimately completed by 247 students, included 15 dietary images from which they were asked to choose what they wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the following day. For the interventional (traffic light food [TLF]) group only, TLF labels were displayed on dietary images. This group had a significantly higher proportion of people conscious of healthy eating during all meals than the control group, and the effect of TLF labeling on choosing meals was the highest for lunch. In addition to the indicated nutritional components, the TLF group had a significantly higher proportion of people who were conscious of the ones of protein and dietary fiber that were not indicated on the label. The use of TLF labels resulted in an increase in the proportion of people choosing a healthy diet as well as being conscious of their nutritional components. Therefore, the use of TLF labels may help promote healthy dietary choices in Japan.

AbstractObjectiveTo identify lifestyle and sociodemographic risk factors of overweight among male college students.DesignA retrospective cohort study.SettingAnnual health checkup in a single university in Japan.ParticipantsMale students who underwent two successive health checkups from their third school year between 2000 and 2007 and whose BMI at baseline of this study was 22·0 kg/m2 or more (n 4634).ResultsDuring the 1-year follow-up, 598 students (12·9 %) reached the study endpoint, i.e. more than a 5 % increase in BMI. Independent risk factors for substantial BMI increase included infrequent exercise (OR = 1·33; 95 % CI 1·11, 1·60), no or infrequent alcohol drinking (OR = 1·30; 95 % CI 1·08, 1·57), frequently skipping breakfast (OR = 1·34; 95 % CI 1·12, 1·61), preference for fatty food (OR 1·36; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·78) and living alone (OR = 1·23; 95 % CI 0·99, 1·52). Students were readily stratified according to risk for substantial BMI gain by counting the number of their risk factors. OR (95 % CI) for the risk between the no risk factor group and students with two, three, four and five risk factors were 1·61 (0·96, 2·70), 2·24 (1·34, 3·75), 2·42 (1·39, 4·23) and 6·22 (2·58, 15·0), respectively.ConclusionThese data suggest that avoidance of certain risk factors in college life is associated with a decrease in incidence of overweight among male students.

This study investigated the life history of performance anxiety in Japanese orchestral players. Twenty-nine players in a Japanese orchestra completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) backstage immediately following a concert. Five players with the longest experience in the orchestra were selected for further data collection. Based on the results of the STAI, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews to construct the life history of these 5 players in relation to their performance anxiety. In the process of narrative construction, a commentary from a psychiatrist was integrated to examine the underlying personality and ability to cope with the anxiety, as well as the contextual influences in the participants’ life-long learning experiences. Results indicated that the anxiety was present throughout the players’ musical development, from childhood and into professional status. However, their performance anxiety was reduced and transformed over time. The study also revealed that these 5 players tended to experience anxiety when playing with others and in large groups. The subjects tended to consider anxiety as a necessary psychological state-of-mind to maintain a professional level of performance and to deal with the uncertainty of group playing. Finally, the individual players found their own specific methods to reduce anxiety by focusing on musical expression and/or simply by gaining experience. Instead of generalizing the result, this study explored the life history of performance anxiety in this series of individual players in Japan.

Abstract Older adults are vulnerable to developing poor mental health as they experience significant life changes such as retirement, widowhood, living alone, institutionalisation, physical and/or cognitive deterioration in oneself or one’s partner, which are associated with increased depression and loneliness. Understanding the mechanisms and identifying effective measures that strengthen their capacities to cope are therefore very important. Extensive research has suggested that active music-making with others has many psychosocial benefits for older adults. This study explored in detail the musical experiences drawn from different settings of Japanese and Hong Kong music communities. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted for members of music-making groups in Japan and Hong Kong who regularly practised, rehearsed, and performed their instruments together in community settings. A phenomenological approach was used to capture and analyse their lived experiences. A needs satisfaction theoretical framework was adopted to shed light on links between their musical engagement and wellbeing outcomes. Active musical engagement was found to be an important source of support for older musicians’ psychological needs. It was central to their positive identity development and sense of purpose in old age. The presentation will further elaborate on underlying mechanisms that linked social, emotional, and artistic experiences of active musical engagement to wellbeing. This study identified active musical engagement as an effective agent in healthy ageing. Differential manifestations of need-supportive practices in musically and culturally distinct communities in Japan and Hong Kong were also described, giving evidence for the positive value of community music groups for promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Undernutrition among young women at “Cinderella weight” is socially important in Japan. To determine the nutritional status of Cinderella-weight women, we conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study on the health examination results of employees aged 20 to 39 (n = 1457 and 643 for women and men, respectively). The percentage of underweight women was found to be much higher than that of men (16.8% vs. 4.5%, respectively). In underweight women (n = 245), handgrip strength (22.82 ± 5.55 vs. 25.73 ± 5.81 kg, p < 0.001), cholesterol level (177.8 ± 25.2 vs. 194.7 ± 31.2 mg/dL, p < 0.05), and lymphocyte count (1883 ± 503 vs. 2148 ± 765/μL, p < 0.001) were significantly lower than in overweight women (n = 116). Then, the BMI < 17.5 group (n = 44) was referred to the outpatient nutrition evaluation clinic. Lower prealbumin, cholesterol, and lymphocyte levels were also observed in 34%, 59%, and 32% of the patients, respectively. Regarding dietary characteristics, 32% of the underweight women in this study skipped breakfast, and 50% had low dietary diversity scores. Lower total energy intake, carbohydrate and fiber intake, and Ca and Fe intake were also observed in 90% of the patients. Deficiencies in vitamin B1, B12, D, and folate were diagnosed in 4.6%, 25%, 14%, and 98% of the patients, respectively. Thus, young underweight women may be prone to malnutrition.

ObjectivesTo date, the association between accumulated unhealthy behaviours and insomnia in individuals stratified according to the presence or absence of major cardiovascular risk factors is unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of accumulated unhealthy behaviours on insomnia in Japanese dwellers.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingBaseline data between April 2012 and March 2015.ParticipantsOur study used cross-sectional data among Japanese aged 35–74 years in a rural community (N=9565), the attendees of annual municipal or work site health check-up programmes.Main outcome measuresInsomnia was assessed by Athens Insomnia Scale, which was set at 6 points and greater; other scales were given. Participants were categorised into three groups by their number of unhealthy behaviours (no exercise habit, smoking, alcohol drinking, skipping breakfast and obesity): 0–1, 2–3, 4 or more. The association between accumulated unhealthy behaviours and insomnia was estimated by logistic regression analysis. Further analysis was done after stratification of cardiovascular risk factors assessed by anthropometrics and clinical biochemistry measurements.ResultsThe overall prevalence of insomnia was 13.3% for men and 19.3% for women. Men with unhealthy behaviour factors were more likely to have insomnia after adjusting for potential confounders, compared with the least unhealthy group (trend p=0.013). Women with four or more unhealthy behaviour factors were more likely to have insomnia, compared with the lowest groups (OR 1.175, 95% CI 1.077 to 1.282). Insomnia has an association with the unhealthy behaviours among men without cardiovascular risk factors (lowest groups: OR 1.133, 95% CI 1.037 to 1.238, trend p=0.026). Women without hypertension were more likely to have suspected insomnia, compared with the lowest group (OR 1.215, 95% CI 1.101 to 1.341).ConclusionThe results showed accumulated unhealthy behaviours were associated with increased risk of insomnia in Japanese dwellers. For healthy population without cardiovascular risk factors, unhealthy behaviours should be considered as background conditions for insomnia.

Abstract Objectives This study examines whether preschool children who maintained regular mealtimes after the spread of COVID-19 infection have better lifestyle habits, like waking up and sleeping early and a more balanced diet, than those who did not. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,000 individuals who provided meals to preschool children aged 2 to 6 years. The Healthy Diet Score (HDS), on a 40-point scale, was developed to comprehensively assess the dietary balance of preschool children based on their frequency of food intake from 13 food groups. The analysis included data on 1,850 children, excluding those who failed to answer the main questions. The participants were classified into four groups based on their responses regarding the regularity of mealtimes after the spread of COVID-19: ‘regular mealtimes (n = 125),’ ‘originally regular and remains unchanged (n = 1514),’ ‘irregular mealtimes (n = 63),’ and ’originally irregular and remains unchanged (n = 148).’ Multiple regression analysis was conducted with HDS as the dependent variable, and regularity of mealtimes and confounding factors as independent variables. Results Compared to other groups, eighty-two percent of the children whose mealtimes were originally regular and remained unchanged were more likely to wake up and sleep early, to eat a snack 0–1 times per day, and to eat breakfast every day. The mealtime for the group ‘originally regular and remains unchanged’ was significantly and positively associated with a higher HDS even after adjusting for basic characteristics and lifestyle of the children, and the economic status of their guardians (β = 0.131, P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions Preschool children who originally had regular mealtimes and maintained this regularity even after the spread of COVID-19 infection were shown to have better lifestyle habits such as waking up and sleeping early, lower frequency of eating snacks, eating breakfast every day, and a higher HDS. Funding Sources This study is a secondary use analysis of survey data conducted as part of the ‘Research for Effective Development of a Food, Nutrition and Dietary Support Guide for Healthy Development in Early Childhood’ grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Administrative Promotion Research Project.

LBA12014 Background: A peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA), such as naldemedine, could alleviate OIC in cancer patients. However, the evidence of PAMORA on OIC prevention in cancer patients starting opioid analgesia is limited. This clinical trial aimed to confirm the preventive effect of naldemedine for OIC in cancer patients who start daily strong opioid administration compared with placebo. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial between July 2021 and May 2023 with four academic hospital in Japan (jRCTs031200397). Patients with cancer starting regular strong opioid for the first time for cancer pain, and age 20 years or older were included. The eligible patient was randomly assigned to the naldemedine (Symproic 0.2 mg) or placebo group in a 1:1 ratio. The protocol treatment period was 14 days after the start of naldemedine (or placebo) and the naldemedine group had Symproic at 0.2 mg once a day after breakfast for 14 days. The placebo group had the placebo once a day after breakfast for 14 days. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a Bowel Function Index (BFI) of less than 28.8 on Day 14. We conducted the safety assessments with the number of all adverse events occurring during the protocol treatment period using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0 Japanese translation of Japan Clinical Oncology Group. Results: Of the 103 patients were assessed for eligibility, 99 patients were randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to receive naldemedine (n = 49) or placebo (n = 50). The BFI score at Day 1 was 18.3±19.8 with naldemedine group and 18.2±20.0 with placebo. The proportion of patients with a BFI of less than 28.8 on Day 14 was significantly greater with naldemedine group (64.6% [31 of 48 patients]; 95% CI, 51.1% to 78.1%) than with placebo (17.0% [8 of 47 patients]; 95% CI, 6.3% to 27.8%) with a difference of 47.6% (95% CI, 30.3% to 64.8%, p< 0.0001). There was no statistical difference in the proportion of adverse events; abdominal distention, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bowel obstruction, and nausea. However, there was a significantly lower proportion of vomiting in patients treated with naldemedine. During the treatment period, none of patients treated with naldemedine had diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting as adverse events causally related to protocol treatment (0.0% [0 of 48 patients] v.s 34.0% [16 of 47 patients]. Conclusions: Naldemedine is a valuable option with proven efficacy in preventing OIC in cancer patients starting regular strong opioids. Clinical trial information: 031200397 .

Abstract In the diverse space of contemporary music, the fascinating and controversial personality of the Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, which is surprising from several perspectives, stands out. Open to assimilating and processing music from various sources (academic, liturgical, folk, entertainment, oriental, exotic), the all-round musician Karl Jenkins impresses the public with unexpected artistic choices, giving up the hypostasis of instrumentalist of the jazz-rock band Nucleus and of the group Softmachine in favour of the postmodern creator he has become today, synthetizing trends from musical compositions of the last decades of the 20th century. Once with the return to the functional system, either through minimalism or through neo-romanticism, the artist has successfully covered a potential sonority path of modern opposites, also evoking references to creative models of the past. We are referring to the musical valorizing of the sacred in a synthetic vision between tradition and innovation, in the works included in the Adiemus cycle, in the opus choir Missa for Peace and, more particularly, in the Requiem (2005), a significant score in the contemporaneity. The manner in which the composer, while resorting to a musical genre originating from the Roman Catholic cult and drawing on the liturgical text of the Mass for the dead, inserted Japanese poetry, written following the structure of haiku, belonging to representative authors - Gozan Koshigaya, Issho Kosughi, Hokusai Katsushika, Kaga-no-Chiyo, is highly surprising. This study aims to highlight the interweaving imagined by Karl Jenkins between the two cultures as well as to conduct a semantic analysis of an opus in which the relationships between music and words entail a highly emotional response.

Denomination of material objects in the field of machine building, in particular the origin and the semantics of automobile nomens on the car makes indication, was studied by A.P.Romanchenko, N.M.Khrustyk, A.M.Yanchyshyn, also the topic was passingly considered by the Ukrainian scientists interested in the problem of pragmonims (O.O.Belei, O.V.Vinarieva, M.M.Dziuba, H.V.Zymovets, O.Iu.Karpenko, T.Iu.Kovalevska, N.V.Lysa, O.M.Tepla, S.O.Shestakova). The purpose of the article is to research the processes of nomenclature denomination, namely the formation of the nomens in the motor-transport area, especially the nomenclature names of the cars. Having analyzed more than 600 automobile nomens on indication of the makes and models of motor-transport means of Japanese manufacture, we can state that mythological, culturological, astronomical and geographical constructions from various aspects, sometimes of rather exotic nature, have been drawn to the arsenal, although traditional for marketing denomination of things was also used. In general, from 20 groups of names of Japanese cars that we distinguished the group of automobile denominative nomens in which the zoological component of the name has been used appeared to be the biggest one (21 nomenclature units), then comes the group of nomens having a musical culturological component in its name (16 nomenclature units), the third place is occupied by automobile nomens where the astronomical components are involved (15 nomenclature units). Thus, we can make a conclusion: the starting point of automobile denomination is usually an associative factor as such name is easy to remember and it catches from mind the necessary image, which is aimed at modeling the successful consumer’s concept about the commercial offer, in this case – a car. But a number of debatable issues are still to be solved, they are associated with the detailed research of the semantic component of denominative automobile nomens, the connection of the own name, the associative factor and the denoted material object, which require additional attention of the Ukrainian terminologists.

Background. The article is devoted to the study of the personality of the outstanding Chinese composer Zhu Jian’er (1922–2017) – the leading figure of the national musical art of the twentieth century. It is proved that the presented problematic makes it possible to most deeply and accurately explore the musical heritage of the artist. In order to better understand the meaning of the composer’s creations, it is necessary to consider his environment, the stages of creative formation, the characteristics of character and personal qualities, his civic position and the characteristics of his worldview. Most of Zhu Jian’er’s life was in times of great turmoil associated with the Sino-Japanese liberation war, with the rigid ideological line of the Communist Party, with the excesses of the Cultural Revolution, etc. Consideration of the work of an outstanding composer through the prism of his personality became possible only in the twenty-first century, when Chinese society was completely freed from the pressure of ideology, which had long been felt after the policy of the Cultural Revolution in the country. Objectives. The purpose of this article is to systematize the historiographic information about the life-making of Zhu Jian’er in the context of the general trends in the development of Chinese musical culture of the twentieth and early twenty-first century. Methods. The methodology of the research is based on the scientific approaches necessary for the disclosure of the topic. The integrated research way is used that combines the principle of musical-theoretical, musical-historical and performing analysis. Results. The composer’s youth passed in Shanghai, occupied by the Japanese invaders. Great importance to the young man had a twenty-four-hour musical radio program, through which he became acquainted with European classical music. In 1945, the composer became the leader of the musical group of the Corps of Cultural Art of the Suzhou military district, and then the director and conductor of the orchestra. As soon as the country was liberated, the composer returned to Shanghai with many musicians from the military orchestra. He was appointed to the position of the head of the musical ensemble of the state film studio. In the summer of 1955, at the age of 33, Zhu Jian’er enrolled in the graduate school of the Moscow Conservatory. Returning to China in the summer of 1960, Zhu Jian’er was full of ambition and a desire to serve his homeland and people. However, the subsequent years of the Cultural Revolution for a decade deprived him of the possibility of full-fledged creativity. Own feelings receded into the background, the collective ousted the personal. In his music the composer presented the Cultural Revolution – with its false goals, ugly human relations, distorted values, unjustified sufferings. This idea formed the basis of the First Symphony. Many outstanding masterpieces of the composer have won major awards at home and abroad, bringing glory to Chinese music on the international music scene. People close to Zhu Jian’er noted that the composer was rarely seen among friends or acquaintances, he was silent and did not like to talk. He was very thin, and it was not clear how a fiery passion and great creative energy lived in such a weak body. The composer had a mild temperament, he never became angry with people and was careful in his statements. However, even such a kind and conflict-free person, faced with unhealthy trends in the music industry, was embroiled in legal proceedings related to “violation of rights” and was forced to fight for his reputation. But he was not afraid of reprisals, his energy and strong enthusiasm gave him strength. Despite the fact that Zhu Jian’er was always an ordinary person, immersed in his own affairs, he was not indifferent to the events in his country and the fate of the national culture. In addition, he was also worried about the international situation and the influence of China outside. The composer has always been interested in politics and collected information about musical culture abroad. He had his own understanding of the world, and he tried to hold an independent opinion, although, as a real creator, he was often visited by the spirit of doubt. Despite his painful body, Zhu Jian’er was a very tough and courageous man. In the years when China was shook by events that he considered as the national catastrophe, the composer retained loyalty to the power. It was not conformism, the musician sincerely loved his homeland and was ready to die for it, his position was that the mistakes would be corrected and the country would gain strength. These inner experiences deeply touched the composer’s mind and feelings, and were subsequently reflected in his music, being formed the unique musical style of his works. In recent years, as an elderly and painful man, Zhu Jian’er continued, in his words, “to pay off debts” – writing articles for various Shanghai music publishers, editing symphonic, orchestral and piano music, and writing a monograph. In most cases, this was underpaid or completely unpaid work. However, the composer was doing such work, considering it his duty. Conclusions. We can observe important milestones in the life-making of Zhu Jian’er, which radically influenced his multifaceted musical creativity. The outlook and civil position of the musician was formed during the years of the Sino-Japanese war of liberation. This enforced his ardent love for his native land and his people. Since he himself was physically unable to be in the ranks of the army, the desire to defend their homeland was expressed in the military songs by Zhu Jian’er. The critical attitude of the musician to the policy of the Cultural Revolution did not change his positive attitude towards life, but only made him think about the meaning of the artist’s life and purpose in society. The activities of the composer in the team of the military ensemble led him to realize the need for further professional development. The passionate desire to gain the highest stages of composer skills prompted Zhu Jian’er insistently to possess by this knowledge at the Moscow Conservatory and then at the Shanghai Conservatory. The composer honed his skills in the field of vocal, instrumental, chamber and choral music, however, the genre of the symphony in which the musician expressed his civic creed and view of the world became the pinnacle of his work.

Image is a word or a word arrangement that has the effect of clarifying or concretizing what the poet has stated. Images in literary works include many kinds of things related to human senses. This study compares and equates the emphasis on figurative language style in the lyrics of songs with two language translation versions of the same name, Kokoro no Tomo which was set to music by Mayumi Itsuwa in 1980 and popularized in the world. Translated in Indonesian with the title Kokoro no Tomo by the music group Zivilia. The method used by the author in the research is a qualitative method, focusing on comparing the images in the lyrics of the song. The results of visual exploration of similarities and differences in the lyrics of the two songs include (1) sensational images, (2) tactile images, and (3) visual images. an illustration that both versions provide an equivalent statement with sentences from the Japanese and Indonesian versions. With the difference in the use of images, the lyrics of the two songs have adjusted the content to suit the musical needs of the people, especially in this case, the people of Indonesia

Keroncong merupakan musik, instrumen musik, dan genre yang diklaim sebagai warisan budaya indonesia. Keroncong sebagai warisan budaya tentunya memiliki sejarah yang panjang.sejarah yang panjang juga tidak akan luput dari pasang surut dan perkembangan. Pasang surut dan perkembangan umumnya dipengaruhi politik dan situasi sosial. Untuk memetakan sejarah keroncong di Indonesia yang diwarnai politik dan situasi sosial, data dikumpulkan melalui dokumentasi, telaah pustaka, dan wawancara. Data valid dikonfirmasi dan dipaparkan secara kronologis berdasar periodesasinya. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa keroncong bermula dari diseminasi instrumen musik bangsa Portugis yang menjalin hubungan dengan Majapahit. Diseminasi instrumen fado di nusantara mengalami perubahan morfologi dan teknik perlakuan alatnya. Perubahan morfologi dan perlakuan alat ini melahirkan instrumen keroncong atau cukulele. Gaya lirik dibangun oleh kearifan lokal nusantara sesuai demografi dan situasi sosial di masing-masing lokasi penciptaannya. Gaya lirik dan pasang surut popularitas keroncong sebagai kelompok musik didorong dan dihentikan oleh naik turunnya kekuatan politik Portugis, Majapahit, Belanda, Jepang, dan Orde Lama dan Orde Baru. Political and Social Situations in the History of Keroncong in IndonesiaAbstract:Keroncong is music, musical instrument, and the genre that is claimed to be Indonesia's cultural heritage. Keroncong, as a cultural heritage, certainly has a long history. A long history will not escape its ups and downs and developments. Political and social situations generally influence the ups and downs and developments. In order to map the history of keroncong in Indonesia, which is colored by politics and social situations, data is collected through documentation, literature review, and interviews. Valid data are confirmed and presented chronologically based on the periodization. The results of this study indicate that keroncong originated from the dissemination of Portuguese musical instruments, which had a relationship with Majapahit. The dissemination of fado instruments in the archipelago has changed the morphology and treatment techniques of the tools. Changes in the morphology and treatment of this tool gave birth to the keroncong or Cukulele instrument. The local wisdom of the archipelago builds the lyric style according to the demographics and social situations in each location of its creation. The lyric style and the ebb and flow of keroncong's popularity as a musical group was driven and stopped by the ups and downs of the political power of the Portuguese, Majapahit, Dutch, Japanese, and the Old and New Order.

Background. The history of the development of orchestral music for Chinese traditional instruments covers more than a thousand years. During this time, the traditional orchestra has undergone significant changes. In the article the modern stage of the development of the orchestra of a new type is considered starting from the 1920s, when its modification began and integration with the principles of the Western Symphony Orchestra. The modernization of the Chinese orchestra of traditional instruments began in the twentieth century after the overthrow of imperial rule and the emerging changes in Chinese society. Nevertheless, the process of integrating the Western musical traditions was carried out in China for several centuries, which prepared the ground for the qualitative changes that began in the 20th century in the field of national musical art. The development of orchestral music for Chinese traditional instruments is not sufficiently studied today in musicology. One of the little studied periods is the initial stage of the formation of the Chinese orchestra of folk instruments of a new type in the 1920s – 1930s. Objectives. The purpose of the article is to reveal the prerequisites and specifics of the formation of the Chinese orchestra of traditional instruments of a new type in the 1920s and 1930s, to determine the role of outstanding Chinese musicians in the process of modernizing the orchestra and creating the appropriate national repertoire. The methodology of research is based on musical-historical approach combined with musical-theoretical and performer analysis. Results. The first shifts in the integration of Western and national traditions in Chinese traditional orchestral music became possible thanks to the activities of the music society “Datong yuehui”, as well as the emergence of higher professional musical institutions in China and the training of Chinese musicians abroad. The most important role in the formation of the Chinese orchestra of traditional instruments of a new type was played by outstanding musicians Zheng Jinwen, Liu Tianhua, Zheng Tisi. Zheng Jinwen was the initiator of the creation of the society “Datong Yuhui” in 1920. He began the process of standardizing various Chinese instruments with the goal of unifying their sound tuning fork. This was necessary for a well-coordinated game in the orchestral ensemble. The musician modernized and developed new methods of tuning traditional instruments for flute dizi, multi-barrel sheng and expanded the orchestra to forty people. Zheng Jinwen adapted the national repertoire to a new type of orchestra, performing as an author of orchestral transcriptions of ancient music for traditional Chinese instruments. Liu Tianhua became the creator of the Society for the Development of National Music at Peking University (1927–1932). The musician reformed the old system of Chinese notation “gongchi” based on hieroglyphs, modernized it and adapted it to the Western musical notation. Substantial achievement of Liu Tianhua was a significant modification of the erhu with the replacement of strings by metal, changing the settings in accordance with the standards of Western stringed instruments. As a result, the erhu acquired the status of a leading or solo instrument in a new type of orchestra. The activity of the first modern Chinese orchestra of traditional instruments, the musical collective of the Broadcasting Company of China, created in Nanjing in 1935, had a great importance. In 1937, from the Second Sino-Japanese War, the orchestra was transferred to Chongqing, and after the victory of the Communists in 1949, he moved to Taiwan. One of the orchestral musicians, Zheng Tisi, played an outstanding role in the formation of this group. The musician carried out the reformation of this orchestra in the field of tuning instruments. The range of the orchestra was expanded by the introduction of additional wooden string instruments dahu and dihu, having a volumetric sound-board and tuned an octave below the violin erhu. Their purpose was to fill the lower register, alike to the cellos and double basses in Western orchestras. For the first time the post of conductor and his assistant was introduced by Zheng Tisi, which was also able to attract professional composers to create a multi-voiced orchestral national repertoire. The innovations of the outstanding musician made his orchestra a role model for all subsequent similar contemporary Chinese orchestras. Conclusions. The process of forming a Chinese orchestra of traditional instruments of a new type in the 1920s and 1930s made it possible to modernize Chinese traditional folk instruments and the ancient Chinese notation system in order to adapt Chinese orchestral music to the integrative processes in musical art. Orchestral music was reformed in accordance with the principles of Western European symphonic and conducting art. In this process, outstanding highly professional Chinese musicians who contributed to the development of orchestral music in their country and the creation of a corresponding national repertoire played the leading role.

The article is devoted to the question of the categories of the epic as part of the theoretical paradigm of contemporary musicology. It is proven that nowadays there are many books, magazines and articles about the epic genre of music. The concept of a soundtrack that appeared in the 1950s is highlighted of XX century. The compilation of songs “Carmina Burana”, which became the reason for the appearance of the music for the trailers was investigated. It has been established that since the 90s of the XX century, the first companies that were engaged in the creation of music for trailers began to appear - “Globus” and “Inmediate Music”. It is determined that the first studio album of the group “Globus” was “Epicon”. It is noted that video games belong to epic music. It has been studied that epic soundtracks are most often used in video games with the plot of war, confrontation and battles. It is noted that Jeremy Soule, who gained fame thanks to the game series “Elder Scrolls” and “Harry Potter” is the most famous composer of orchestral music video games. The importance of music is emphasized for the video games of the famous American composer Garry Schyman. Emphasis is placed on the talented works of German instrumentalist Hans Zimmer. It is noted that the music is epic and cinematic. Samples of the musical epic of Ukrainian composers are highlighted. Explored Japanese anime style animation. Revealed that talented artists receive the MTV Video Music Awards every year.

Music listening may evoke meaningful emotions in listeners and may enhance certain health benefits. At the same time, it is important to consider individual differences, such as musical taste, when examining musical emotions and in considering their possible health effects. In a field experiment, 21 women listened to their own preferred music on mp3-players daily for 30 minutes during a two week time period in their own homes. One week they listened to their own chosen relaxing music and the other their own chosen energizing music. Self-reported stress, emotions and health were measured by a questionnaire each day and salivary cortisol was measured with 6 samples two consecutive days every week. The experiment group was compared to a control group (N = 20) who were instructed to relax for 30 minutes everyday for three weeks, and with a baseline week when they relaxed without music for one week (before the music intervention weeks). The results showed that when participants in the experiment group listened to their own chosen music they reported to have experienced significantly higher intensity positive emotions and less stress than when they relaxed without music. There was also a significant decrease in cortisol from the baseline week to the second music intervention week. The control group’s reported stress levels, perceived emotions and cortisol levels remain stable during all three weeks of the study. Together these results suggest that listening to preferred music may be a more effective way of reducing feelings of stress and cortisol levels and increasing positive emotions than relaxing without music. Keywords: music, emotions, stress, cortisol levelsSpanishEstudio experimental de Campo de los efectos de la Escucha de Musica seleccionada por uno mismo en las emociones, el stress y los niveles de cortisol.Marie Helsing, Daniel Västfjäll, Pär Bjälkebring, Patrik Juslin, Terry Hartig La escucha musical puede evocar emociones significativas en los oyentes y puede lograr algunos beneficios en la salud. Al mismo tiempo, es importante considerar las diferencias individuales, como por ejemplo el gusto musical, cuando examinamos las emociones musicales y al considerar sus posibles efectos en la salud. En este experimento de campo 21 mujeres escucharon su música preferida 30 minutos por dia durante 2 semanas utilizando reproductores de mp3 en sus propias casas. Una semana escucharon la música que eligieron como relajante y la semana siguiente la música que eligieron como energizante. Los auto-reportes de stress, emociones y salud fueron medidos con cuestionarios diarios a la vez que se midió el nivel de cortisol en saliva con 6 muestras tomadas durante dos días consecutivos cada semana. El grupo experimental fue comparado con el grupo control (N=20) que habían sido instruidas para realizar relajación durante 30 minutos todos los días durante tres semanas y con una semana de base en la cual se relajaban sin música (antes de las semanas de intervención musical). Los resultados mostraron que cuando las participantes del grupo experimental escucharon su propia música, reportaron haber experimentado significativamente una mayor intensidad de emociones positivas y menor stress que cuando se relajaron sin música. Hubo también una disminución significativa en el cortisol desde la semana de base a la segunda semana con la intervención musical. El grupo control reportó que los niveles de stress , percepción emocional y niveles de cortisol permanecieron estables durante las tres semanas del estudio. Estos resultados sugieren que escuchar música preferida puede ser una forma más efectiva de reducir la sensación de stress y los niveles de cortisol y de incrementar las emociones positivas que la relajación sin música. Palabras clave: Escucha musical , cortisol , respuesta al stress GermanDie Effekte vom Hören selbst gewählter Musik auf Emotionen, Stress und Cortisol Level: Eine experimentelle Feldstudie Marie Helsing, Daniel Västfjäll, Pär Bjälkebring, Patrik Juslin, Terry Hartig Musikhören kann beim Hörer bedeutsame Emotionen auslösen und gewisse Gesundheitsvorteile bewirken. Gleichzeitig ist es wichtig, individuelle Unterschiede, wie den musikalischen Geschmack, zu beachten, wenn man musikalische Emotionen untersucht und deren mögliche gesundheitliche Effekte betrachtet. In einem Feldexperiment hörten 21 Frauen ihre selbst gewählte Musik über einen mp3 Spieler täglich 30 Minuten während einem Zeitraum von 2 Wochen in ihrem eigenen Zuhause.Eine Woche lang hörten sie ihre selbst gewählte entspannende Musik, in der anderen Woche selbst gewählte energetisierende Musik. Selbstberichteter Stress, Emotionenund Gesundheit wurden mithilfe eines Fragebogens täglich, der Cortisolspiegel mit 6 Beispielen an zwei aufeinander folgenden Tagen wöchentlich gemessen. Die experimentelle Gruppe wurde mit einer Kontrollgruppe verglichen (N=20), die angewiesen wurde, 3 Wochen lang täglich 30 Minuten zu entspannen; mit einer baseline-Woche, während der sie eine Woche lang ohne Musik entspannten (vor der Musik-Interventionswoche). Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Teilnehmer der experimentellen Gruppe berichteten, sie hätten bei ihrer selbst gewählten Musik signifikant höhere intensive positive Emotionen und weniger Stress, als wenn sie ohne Musik entspannten. Außerdem fand sich eine signifikante Abnahme des Cortisols von der baseline-Woche zur 2. Woche mit Musikintervention. Die von der Kontrollgruppe berichteten Stresslevel, erlebten Emotionen und der Cortisolspiegel blieben während all der drei Studienwochen stabil. Zusammengefasst lassen diese Resultate vermuten, dass Hören von selbst gewählter Musik eine effektivere Möglichkeit darstellt, Gefühle von Stress und Cortisollevel zu reduzieren und positive Gefühle zu erzeugen, wie Entspannung ohne Musik.Keywords: Musikhören, Cortisol, Stressresponse ItalianStudio Sperimentale sul Campo degli Effetti Legati all’Ascolto della Musica Auto-Selezionata sulle Emozioni, Stress, Livello del Cortisolo Marie Helsing, Daniel Västfjäll, Pär Bjälkebring, Patrik Juslin, Terry HartigAscoltare musica può suscitare emozioni e può dare benefici alla salute. Allo stesso tempo però è importante prendere in considerazione le differenze individuali ,come il gusto musicale, quando si indaga sulle emozioni musicali, e considerare il loro possible effetto sulla salute. In un esperimeto sul campo 21 donne hanno ascoltato la loro musica preferita, su lettori mp3, ogni giorno, nelle loro case, per 30 minuti lungo un periodo di tempo di 2 settimane. Una settimana hanno ascoltato musica rilassante e l’alta settimana musica energizzante. Stress, emozioni e salute sono stati misurati da un questionario ogni giorno e il cortisolo della salia è stato misurato con 6 campioni due giorni consecutivi ogni settimana. Il gruppo di sperimentazione è stato messo a confroto con un altro gruppo di controllo (N= 20) al quale è stata assegnata una settimana di controllo di relax senza musica e dopo hanno avuto istruzione di rilassarsi per 30 minuti ogni giorno per tre settimane. I risultati hanno mostrato che quando i partecipanti del gruppo hanno ascoltato la loro musica essi hanno riferito di aver avuto meno stress e di aver vissuto emozioni positive in un livello significativamente piú alto rispetto a quando si rilassavano senza musica. C’è stata anche una diminuzine significativa del cortisolo nel passaggio tra la settimana di controllo alla settimana in cui è stata introdotta la musica. Il gruppo di controllo ha riportato livelli di stress, emozioni percepite e livelli di cortisolo stabili durante tutte e tre le settimane dello studio. Tutti questi risultati ci suggeriscono che rilassarsi ascoltando la nostra musica preferita può essere un modo molto efficace per ridurre i livelli di stress e di cotisolo ed aumentare le emozioni positive, rispetto a rilassarsi senza musica. Parole Chiave: ascoltare musica, cortisolo, stress Chinese聆聽自選音樂對情緒、壓力及皮質醇水平效用之實驗性實地研究聆聽音樂能激發對聆聽者而言具有意義的情緒，並有益於促進健康。於此同時，當評估音樂對情緒及健康可能帶來的影響時，考慮到個別差異(如：個人的音樂品味)至關重要。在一個實地研究中，21位女性連續兩週，每天30分鐘在家聆聽她們喜歡的音樂mp3，其中一週，他們聆聽自己選擇的放鬆音樂，另一週則聆聽自選的活力音樂。在自陳問卷中每天測量壓力值、情緒與健康狀態，並每週連續兩天測量六個唾液皮質醇樣本。在音樂介入之前，以一週沒有聆聽音樂的放鬆作為基線期，將實驗組的結果與連續三週每天進行30分鐘放鬆的控制組(N=20)比較，結果顯示和未聆聽音樂的放鬆經驗相比，實驗組的參與者表示，在她們聆聽自選音樂的時候，感受到明顯較高強度的正向情緒以及較少的壓力。同時，與第一週的基線期相比，皮質醇在第二週音樂開始介入後也顯著降低。相對的，控制組的自陳壓力值、情緒感知及皮質醇程度在研究進行的三週之中皆保持穩定。研究結果建議，在放鬆時聆聽個人偏好的音樂比沒有聆聽音樂更能有效降低壓力感與皮質醇程度，並增加正向情緒 。 Japanese自分で選んだ音楽を聴くことによる、感情、ストレス、 コルチゾール値への影響についての実験的実地調査Marie Helsing, Daniel Västfjäll, Pär Bjälkebring, Patrik Juslin, Terry Hartig 音楽鑑賞は鑑賞者の有意義な感情を喚起し一定の健康利益を高める可能性がある。同時に、音楽感情を調査、またそれらの健康への影響の可能性を考察する際には、音楽の嗜好など、個人差を考慮することが重要である。実地調査では、21人の女性が各自の好む音楽を一日30分、2週間、MP3プレイヤーを使って自宅で聴いた。一週間は自分で選択したリラックスする音楽を、もう一週間は自分で選択した活力を与える音楽を聴いた。自己申告によるストレス、感情、健康がアンケートを使って毎日計測され、唾液内のコルチゾール値は、毎週2日連続して６つのサンプルを使って計測された。実験グループは毎日30分のリラクゼーションを3週間行ったコントロール群 (N=20) と比較され、コントロール群はベースラインとなる週（リラクゼーションを始める前の週）に音楽なしのリラクゼーションも行った。結果は、実験グループ参加者が好みの音楽を聴いている時、著しく高い強さでポジティブな感情を経験し、音楽なしでリラックスしている時よりもストレスが少ないということを示した。また、コルチゾール値は、ベースライン週に比べて音楽介入のあった2週目の方が有意に減少していた。コントロール群では、ストレスレベル、感情知覚、コルチゾール値が、調査中3週間において安定を保持したことが報告された。これらの結果を合わせると、好みの音楽を聴くことはよりストレス感情とコルチゾール値を減少させ、音楽なしのリラクゼーションよりもポジティブな感情を増加させることが示唆される。キーワード：音楽鑑賞、コルチゾール、ストレス反応 Korean개인선곡 음악감상이 정서, 스트레스, 코티졸 레벨에 미치는 영향에 대한 임상 실험 연구Marie Helsing, Daniel Västfjäll, Pär Bjälkebring, Patrik Juslin, Terry Hartig음악을 듣는 것은 듣는 사람에게 중요한 정서를 이끌어 낼 수 있으며 특정한 건강 혜택들을 증진시킬 수 있다. 동시에, 음악적 정서를 조사할 때, 또한 그것들이 건강에 끼칠 수 있는 영향들을 고려할 때 음악적 취향과 같은 개인차를 고려해야 한다. 임상 실험에서, 21명의 여성들은 자신의 집에서 2주 동안 매일 30분씩 MP3 플레이어로 자신이 좋아하는 음악을 들었다. 첫 일주일 동안, 그들은 자신이 선택한 이완 음악을 들었고, 두 번째 일주일간은 자신이 선택한 에너지를 주는 음악을 들었다. 매일 질문지로 자신이 보고한 스트레스, 감정, 건강 등을 평가했고, 매주 2일 연속 6개의 샘플을 가지고 타액내 코티졸을 측정했다. 실험집단은 3주 동안 매일 30분씩 이완을 시키라고 지시를 받은 통제 집단(N=20)과 비교했으며, 음악 중재 전 일주일 동안 음악 없이 이완을 시켰던 때를 기초선 주간(baseline week)으로 정했다. 그 결과, 실험 집단의 참가자들은 음악없이 이완을 시켰던 때보다 자신이 선택한 음악을 들었을 때 유의미하게 더 높은 강도의 긍정적 정서와 더 적은 스트레스를 경험했다고 보고했다. 또한 기초선 주간으로부터 두 번째 음악 중재 주까지 코티졸의 유의미한 감소도 있었다. 통제 집단이 보고한 스트레스 수준, 인식한 감정, 코티졸 레벨은 3주 간의 연구 기간 내내 안정적이었다. 이런 결과들을 종합했을 때, 선호하는 음악을 듣는 것이 음악 없이 이완을 시키는 것보다 긍정적인 정서를 증가시켜주고 스트레스 감정과 코티졸 수준을 줄여주는 보다 효과적인 방법이 될 수 있음을 제안한다. 키워드: 음악 감상, 코티졸, 스트레스 반응

The world of robotics has long been trying to teach the essence of engineering by using robots as a subject. A process of robot production and operation is said to have the total essence of engineering education, and the actual manufacturing of robots has certainly been motivational for students. For this reason, robotics researchers and those in educational institutions such as universities and technical colleges in particular have worked hard on robot education. However, researchers have been faced with a dilemma: a report of educational activities, however, has not been regarded as a research paper, even though they have worked so hard on it. This special issue intends to resolve the dilemma and convey their educational activities in educational literature. From a scientific point of view, we will utilize robots in robot education to activate human resource development in robotics in terms of both quantity and quality. Learning sciences researchers focus on what educational content they want to give and get back through various learning processes that enable such education. More specifically, they analyze what activities in what educational contexts yield what effects to what extent, thereby facilitating learning of higher quality than ever. The same attempt may be possible for education using robots. Various practices that give us hope for good results have been conducted independently. Comparison of those practices may result in the extraction of a principle to bring about learning of higher quality. A single report itself on a practice is not likely to be a research paper. Instead, in an effort to promote robotics itself, a compilation of processes and results of various educational attempts with various clear and specific subgoals that are comparable and examinable can be a precious group of research papers from which principles of attempts in engineering education are drawn. The formation of a community in which practices are conducted, processes and results are shared, and further practices are planned is highly likely to improve the overall quality of practices. This special issue provides the first step towards such formation of a new community based on such a compilation of new research. Educational research papers, common assets for the formation of such community, are thus required to clearly include the following contents which constitute an education literature. • Purpose of learning: Learners with what background knowledge acquire what and to what extent. • Activity program: The purpose of learning is achieved specifically through what activities, in what order, implemented for what period of time. • Learning process: During the course of the program, what specific learning activities are observed. • Assessments: Whether expected activities are made, to what extent the purpose is achieved, and whether activities and results seen are beyond what was expected. If at least the above items come to be known from one practice, subsequent practices can be improved and new goals can be set. At the same time, the practices can be observed on other occasions. Once an original “learning score,” like a musical score, is manifested, it will be able to be improved or edited. As no two musical performances are the same as a written musical score, no two practices will be the same as one “learning score.” However, that does not mean that the “learning scores” and their processes in practice are not subjects of research. As musical scores and performances are studied for the next composition and more impressive performance, “learning scores” and their outcomes in practice are the subjects of research aimed at designing better future processes and conducting practices of higher quality. The attempts in this special issue are expected to inspire more and more elaborative papers and to improve the quality of practices that utilize the results. This time, the first time, we had as many as 39 contributions from the public. We asked referees to select those that would constitute as diverse a collection as possible, and they finally adopted 29 contributions. We are sure that with these contributions as our point of departure, the accumulation of results will continuously engender next-dimension practices in the future. Let us now overview the papers selected this time and discuss their findings for the future contributions in three areas: purpose, contrast, and assessment. Please forgive us if the discussions overlap to some extent, but they include factors that are more related than independent. < Contrast in Purpose and Result > Goal setting is normally difficult in educational research. As a result, the most common mistake is that goals are set that are overly ambitious. The fact the goal of compulsory education currently set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is a “zest for living” serves to indicate that the idea “the bigger the educational goal, the better” prevails. Big goals cannot be accomplished at once, however, so clearer and more specific interim goals of half-year, one-year, and four-year duration need to be set. To link the subject of research to the next practice, we have to specify as clearly as possible what interim activities and what results we expect. Otherwise, we will have vague results which do not merit papers. An example of a real story to show what a specific goal is like is warranted here. A researcher teaching biology in a liberal arts course, in the final examination after all the lectures, tasked his students with the following: “name, in their order of importance, technical terms that you had not intended to remember but actually did during the course, and explain their definitions in that order in the time allotted.” The task may seem far-fetched, but he actually expected a certain list of terms and their explanations. He had in fact intended for the students to be able to reproduce the terms on the list and be able to explain them; he had explained them by introducing the terms in a well-prepared order, using them repeatedly, encouraging the students to use them, and setting an opportunity for the students to explain them among themselves. Such effort made this practice popular among the students and made the task performance exceed his expectations. This practice program and the report of its process could be of very high quality as subjects of research. We can carefully track which of the planned activities facilitated learning, how active they were, and what level of results were brought for each term. If the students’ answers include important items that the students learned spontaneously although the teacher did not mean to teach them to that extent, this practice clearly “produced higher results than expected.” If we can review the records of the learning process (e.g., videos of the classes, records of the students’ conversations, copies of notes taken by the students in each lecture, etc.), we can at least guess which of the activities at what point in time produced the more-than-expected results, and we can produce a specific plan for the next practice. Thus, it is very beneficial to specify the educational goals before working on practices. < Contrast > Learning sciences are asking less and less for socalled “control groups” for their research. This is because, for the betterment of the next practice, it is more efficient to use the time for reviewing the process of a successful practice than making a single factor comparison, because what we want to know is not whether it worked but how it worked in relation with other factors. There are many reasons a practice gives the desired results or not, and they interact. Therefore, even if a cause or contributing factor to a successful outcome is identified, it can not be the only factor behind its success. This does not mean, however, that educational research should not compare at all, rather than that, if there are two or more paths to the successful accomplishment of a specific goal, comparing of them allows factors associated with the results to be identified more easily. In that sense, when devising a new way of teaching, it is often meaningful to compare both the processes and results of the first practice and second practice with slightly adjusted approach based on the results of the first practice. Regarding education using robots, there is an idea that the tangible nature of robots has educational effects on students through their physical experiences that can not be expected from classroom lectures alone. Here is an imaginary example. Suppose that a class previously allowed students to deal with an object only on a computer screen, but now the students are provided with a real model. Now suppose this real model has had some effects, but not to the level expected. In the second year, the class again includes operations on the screen in its introductory period, and, after the students have discussed the robot’s operation, a hands-on experience is provided. As a result, the second practice has almost the expected results despite the fact that the discussion on the operation on the screen has reduced the time for the operation of the real object. Now, how can this result be documented in a paper? In other words, how can this practice be reported in such a way that the reporter and readers may develop the next practice? A conclusion that “a hands-on experience may be important but the length of time does not affect the results” does not focus on what class is to be devised next. First of all, such conclusion misses the point in terms of the successful experience the second time. Now suppose that this practice is video-recorded at a level of resolution high enough to allow the comparison of the processes of the first and second classes. Reviewing the progression of the first class, we find that the model is introduced too early for the students to understand how to operate the real object and time is wasted over it. For this reason, the students utilize only about two-thirds of the expected length of time assigned to operation of the real object. Reviewing the progression of the second practice, we find that the length of time for discussion of the screen operation is just about one-third of the length of time assigned to the real object operation in the first class; that is, the length of time to operate the real object that is thought to be reduced is almost the same as that utilized in the first class. The first and the second classes are compared as Table 1. Although it may seem to be an afterthought, the results of the comparison of the two practices will be concluded as “to effectively learn from the actual object operation, the balance between the length of time to clarify what to do in the actual object operation and then the length of time to actually operate the object is apparently more important than the total length of time assigned to the actual object operation.” Some of the papers adopted this time should have manifested such comparison for an easier-to-understand result. < Assessment > Assessing what was learned as a result of teaching is more difficult than normally thought. Suppose we ask students the question, “In what year was Natsume Soseki (a Japanese famous novelist) born?” Which of the students should we give a higher score: a student who answers “1867” correctly, or a student who answers, “In the middle of the 19th century, probably,” based on the year of the Meiji Restoration, the year of the outbreak of the Thirty Year’sWar, and other betterknown years? In this case, the latter student often has more historical perspective than does the former. Tests require various problem-solving processes, depending on the way the questions are posed (or one’s understanding of what was asked). In that sense, an assessment is defined as “an interpretation of a cognitive process that, from a behavior observed by an approach, leads to the behavior.” The “approach” here is the equivalent of the test question above (i.e., the action of asking the year of Soseki’s birth), and “the behavior observed” is the equivalent of the answer of each student. The essence of an assessment depends on what the cognitive process that drew the answer interpreted from the behavior is. In this case, the answers of the two students imply that the cognitive process of the former student may only be to refer to a chronological table; on the other hand, that of the latter may be closer to a process of making an inference from a series of relevant events structured in memory as modern history. If one needs to confirm whether such interpretation is true, the student can be asked to elaborate in the assessment, i.e., the student can be asked a couple of similar questions, and the overall tendency of his observable behaviors may be interpreted. This suggests educational research consisting of continuous assessments rather than of a single collective assessment. In fact, the former involves elaboration but gives stable interpretations. Scoring the students by their performance over a couple of weeks of practice totaling several hours, performance that allows their behaviors to be observed, based on a confident, down-to-earth grade, is easier than scoring the students by their performance in once-a-week classes in a large lecture hall where individual reactions are invisible to the teacher and assessment is based only on the result of a single examination. Accordingly, if a practice is the subject of research, its results do not have to depend only on the final, single examination. Also, relying on a subjective assessment, which is more difficult to interpret, is not necessarily a wise thing to do. A stable assessment is achieved by continuously providing opportunities for behavioral observations in which cognitive processes are easy to interpret. Practices utilizing robots givemore opportunities for student observation for the purpose of assessment than other classes (e.g., mathematics or philosophy) in the sense that the students “externalize what they think” with a real subject. Educational research on robot education should take advantage of this. This argument can be countered by an argument that it is impossible to analyze such a great amount of data on the learning process, such as video. One of the answers to this counterargument is that it is good to keep as much data as possible to, when necessary, analyze it as needed. Now we look back the example of the imaginary classroom of experiential learning that we saw when we discussed the comparison. When we interpret the results of the two practices, if the length of time for actual object operation is focused on, we may first measure only the point in question from the video. Simply doing so ends up the discussion in the above example. Although time cannot be measured without a video record, measuring time is sufficient for one to be able to write a paper in the above example. In that sense, data on a leaning process is worth recording. In addition, if a further hypothesis, i.e., there is a difference in results depending not only the length of time but also how to use the time by each team between a group that performed a specific actual object operation and a group did not perform it, is generated, the video may be viewed again, and the occurrence of the specific activity alone can be focused on as a subject of analysis. Adding a report of learning process analysis results led by such a hypothesis not only facilitates the practice results to be brought into a paper but also serves as a strong factor that may lead to the next practice, the next educational study, and the next paper. Those researchers who have been involved in engineering education utilizing robots may each have individual hypotheses for better ways of teaching from their own individual experiences. Clarifying the instructional goal itself is the subject of research. By being aware of a hypothesis, translating a “better way of teaching” into reality in line with the hypothesis, clarifying an instructional goal, determining from a series of learning processes to what extent the goal can actually be accomplished, and reporting all of them to leave them to cooperative examination, those rules of thumb can be turned into learning principles. This special issue is, in that sense, the first step to new learning research.

Abstract Background and Aims Unhealthy eating habits such as skipping breakfast are associated with adverse health outcomes including coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus. However, it remains uncertain whether skipping breakfast affects chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between skipping breakfast and progression of CKD. Method Between 2008 and 2019, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using annual health check data in Iki City, Nagasaki, Japan. A total of 922 participants aged 30 years or older who had CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt;60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or proteinuria) at baseline were included in the present analysis. The breakfast-skipping group was defined as participants who skipped breakfast more than 3 times per week. The outcome was CKD progression defined as a decline of at least 30% in the eGFR from the baseline status. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CKD progression, adjusted for other CKD risk factors. Results During a follow-up period with a mean of 5.5 years, CKD progression occurred in 60 (6.5%) participants. The incidence rate (per 1,000 person-years) of CKD progression was 21.5 in the breakfast-skipping group and 10.7 in the breakfast-eating group (p = 0.029), respectively. The multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) for CKD progression was 2.60 (95% CI 1.29‒5.26) for the breakfast-skipping group (p = 0.028) compared with the group eating breakfast. There were no clear differences in the association of skipping breakfast with CKD progression in subgroup analyses by sex, age, obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, baseline eGFR and baseline proteinuria. Conclusion Skipping breakfast was significantly associated with higher risk of CKD progression in a general Japanese population.

ABSTRACT Eating frequency has been associated with nutrient intake and diet quality. The aim of this study was to examine the association between daily nutrient and food group intake and consumption of breakfast and/or snacks among young Japanese adults, as secondary analysis of the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan involving 1,420 men and 1,659 women aged 20–39 years. Dietary intake data were collected using a one-day semi-weighed household dietary record. Participants were classified into four groups based their breakfast and snack consumption, defined as the consumption of any food or beverage that contained energy based on participant-defined eating occasions; both breakfast and snack consumption (B+S+), breakfast consumption without snacking (B+S-), breakfast skipping and snack consumption (B-S+), and breakfast skipping without snacking (B-S-). The proportion of breakfast skippers among men and women was 11.8% and 6.6%, whereas that of snack consumers among men and women was 55.3% and 68.2%, respectively. Energy, magnesium, potassium (in both sexes), vitamin B2, calcium, (only men), and folate and dietary fibre (only women) intakes were higher among breakfast and snack consumers than in the B+S- group. The nutrient intake level of the B+S- group was similar to that of the B-S+ group, whereas the B-S- group had lower energy (both sexes), copper, dietary fibre, and potassium (only women) intakes than the B+S- group. Snack consumption could supplement nutrients that may not be adequately consumed by three meals among young Japanese adults.

Introduction: Breakfast-skipping habits are associated with adverse health outcomes including coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus. However, it remains uncertain whether skipping breakfast affects chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk. This study aimed to examine the association between skipping breakfast and progression of CKD. Methods: We retrospectively conducted a population-based cohort study using the data from the Iki City Epidemiological Study of Atherosclerosis and Chronic Kidney Disease (ISSA-CKD). Between 2008 and 2019, we included 922 participants aged 30 years or older who had CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt;60 mL/min/1.73m2 and/or proteinuria) at baseline. Breakfast-skippers were defined as participants who skipped breakfast more than 3 times per week. The outcome was CKD progression defined as a decline of at least 30% in the eGFR from the baseline status. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CKD progression, adjusted for other CKD risk factors. Results: During a follow-up period with a mean of 5.5 years, CKD progression occurred in 60 (6.5%) participants. The incidence rate (per 1,000 person-years) of CKD progression was 21.5 in the breakfast-skipping group and 10.7 in the breakfast-eating group (p=0.029), respectively. The multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) for CKD progression was 2.60 (95% CI 1.29‒5.26) for the breakfast-skipping group (p=0.028) compared with the group eating breakfast. There were no clear differences in the association of skipping breakfast with CKD progression in subgroup analyses by sex, age, obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, baseline eGFR and baseline proteinuria. Conclusion: Skipping breakfast was significantly associated with higher risk of CKD progression in the general Japanese population.

IntroductionIn Japan, breakfast styles are categorized into five groups; Japanese breakfast (JB; rice and miso soup), Western breakfast (WB; bread and milk), Japanese-Western breakfast (J-WB; alternative daily serving), cereal breakfast (CB), and breakfast skipping. In our recent studies, breakfast style was highly associated with the daily sleep–wake phase (chronotype), and healthy eating habits. In contrast with other breakfast style consumers, JB-consumers were positively associated with the morning chronotype and healthy eating habits such as a high consumption of a variety of protein sources, vegetables, and dietary fibers, and low consumption of sweetened juices. These previous studies included only adult participants; hence, in the current study, we investigated whether similar observations can be made in children.MethodsPreschool (aged 3–5 years) and elementary school children (6–8 years) (N = 6,104, 49.87% boys, 50.13% girls, mean body mass index 15.39 ± 0.03 kg/m2 for preschoolers and percentage of overweight −2.73 ± 0.22 for elementary school children) participated in this cross-sectional online survey on lifestyle, including eating and sleep habits, through their mother’s responses.ResultsThe results showed that the morning-evening type index values (chronotype indicator, smaller indicates morning type) were negatively correlated with JB intake (−0.05, p &lt; 0.01) and positively correlated with WB (0.03, p &lt; 0.05) and CB intake (0.06, p &lt; 0.01), suggesting that the JB group exhibited the morning chronotype and the WB and CB groups exhibited the evening chronotype. The JB group consumed a variety of protein sources (mean ± SE; days/week) with more frequency (fish 2.95 ± 0.038 p &lt; 0.001, soy 3.55 ± 0.043 p &lt; 0.001, egg 3.82 ± 0.044 p &lt; 0.001) compared with the WB group (fish 2.58 ± 0.033, soy 3.00 ± 0.038, egg 3.49 ± 0.039). On the other hand, the JB group consumed snacks (5.48 ± 0.042 p &lt; 0.001) and sweetened juice (2.50 ± 0.050 p &lt; 0.001) less frequently than the WB group (snacks; 5.80 ± 0.037 and sweetened juice; 2.74 ± 0.049).DiscussionJB-eating children with a morning chronotype exhibited better sleep and eating habits than WB-eating children with an evening type pattern. The results suggest that JB eating habits may be associated with good eating and sleeping lifestyles, even among preschool and elementary school children.

Abstract Background Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) adversely affect the prognosis of mother and child, and the prognosis depends on the subtype of HDP. Skipping breakfast may be associated with increased blood pressure due to disruption of the circadian clock, but the association with the development of HDP has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between skipping breakfast and the development of HDP and HDP subtypes in Japanese pregnant women. Methods Of the pregnant women who participated in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Three-Generation Cohort Study, 18,839 who answered the required questions were included in the analysis. This study had a cross-sectional design. The breakfast intake frequency from pre-pregnancy to early pregnancy was classified into four groups: daily, 5–6 times per week, 3–4 times per week, and 0–2 times per week. HDP was classified into gestational hypertension (GH), chronic hypertension (CH), preeclampsia (PE), and severe preeclampsia (SuPE). Multiple logistic regression analysis and multinomial logistic analysis were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for breakfast intake frequency and development of HDP or HDP subtypes. We performed a stratified analysis based on energy intake. Results Of the participants, 74.3% consumed breakfast daily, and 11.1% developed HDP. Women who consumed breakfast 0–2 times per week had a higher risk of HDP (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.14–1.56), CH (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.21–2.19), and PE (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.27–2.21) than those who consumed breakfast daily. No association was found between skipping breakfast and the risk of developing GH (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.99–1.61) and SuPE (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.55–1.49). Stratified analysis showed that the risk of developing HDP due to skipping breakfast was highest in the group with the highest daily energy intake. Conclusions Skipping breakfast during pre-to early pregnancy is associated with the development of HDP. Further longitudinal studies are required to clarify the causal association between skipping breakfast and HDP.

Background: The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) represents the degree of utilizable dietary protein, namely the protein quality. The PDCAAS of a diet is required to be evaluated on a meal-by-meal basis, as food digestion and absorption occur with each meal intake. Although a positive association between protein intake and cognitive function has been reported, no study has investigated the association between PDCAAS of a diet and cognitive function. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between PDCAAS of a diet and cognitive impairment in older adults. Design: Longitudinal epidemiological study Setting: Community-based setting Participants: We analyzed 541 community-dwellers who participated in both baseline and follow-up survey. They were 60–83 years of age without cognitive impairment at baseline. Measurements: Cognitive impairment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤27. Individual PDCAASs were calculated for each of three regular meals from the 3-day dietary records at baseline. Participants were classified into two groups according to the sex-specific tertiles (T1–T3) of the PDCAAS for each meal (i.e., T1 as the low score group and T2–T3 as the medium and high score group). The dependent variable was cognitive impairment observed after 4 years, and the explanatory variables were the PDCAAS groups for each meal (the medium and high group as the reference) and covariates (sex, age, body mass index, education, depressive symptoms, medical history, protein intake at each meal, and the MMSE score at baseline). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the low PDCAAS group for cognitive impairment after 4 years. Results: A significant association was observed only between a low PDCAAS of breakfast and the incidence of cognitive impairment (the adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence intervals] of low PDCAAS for cognitive impairment for breakfast, lunch, and dinner were 1.58 [1.00–2.50], 0.85 [0.54–1.34], and 1.08 [0.71–1.65], respectively). Conclusion: A lower PDCAAS of breakfast, i.e., a diet with poor quality of protein, was associated with the incidence of cognitive impairment in older adults of the community.

Focal dystonia, the dysregulation or temporary loss of motor control during musical performance, is a condition among musicians of unknown cause and without preventative measures. Some research suggests that focal dystonia is caused by pain and muscular fatigue, resulting in excessive afferent pathway input. However, this argument has not been sufficiently supported through experimentation. In this study, we investigate the hypothesized correlation between bodily over-exertion and left-hand finger pain, using a control group consisting of musicians absent symptoms of irregular muscle tension. Although a diagnosis of focal dystonia is not employed, musicians with symptoms of irregular muscle tension are the target group of study, as they are believed to be predisposed to developing focal dystonia. The aim of this study is to identify factors that lead to onset of focal dystonia. The methodology employed in this study involves the inclusion of 82 Japanese musicians who specialize in high-speed stringed instruments. Regarding left finger muscular tension, subjects were divided into an over-exertion group and a normal tension group. During a period of rest from musical practice, subjects were given a questionnaire evaluating the degree of left finger pain. Muscular tension was used as a response variable, and analysis was conducted to reveal any causal link. Results revealed a stronger tendency for muscular tension to persist in the over-exertion group compared to the normal group, even when musical training despite bodily fatigue was stopped. Left finger pain was also higher in the over-exertion group.

In this essay, I look at Aoki’s recent work in order to consider the place of the Asian/American in the world of American improvisation and public presentation. Aoki’s long-term involvement in the (Asian) American creative improvisation scene is well known, but his more recent work with a Chicago taiko group suggests that the interface between the ‘traditional’ and the ‘experimental’ can create new forms of community-based transnational performance. Complex issues of Asian American identity and its articulations through musical improvisation are explored through interviews with Chicago bassist Tatsu Aoki and members of Tsukasa Taiko. The article includes detailed analyses of three pieces from Aoki’s Basser Live II project, supported by video and audio examples.

This paper explores the concept of continuity in the context of a long-term open music therapy group for mothers and children with learning disabilities between 5 and 18 years old. Based in a small rural village in Japan where there was no previous access to music therapy, the group has been active for 13 years and meets primarily during school holidays. Over time, up to 27 Japanese mothers with their children have participated in the group. The therapist encourages musical interaction and expression through musical improvisation and engagement with the family. The significance of continuity in therapeutic practice is explored in different ways. In addition to focusing on a case study of individual music therapy with a child on the autistic spectrum (who attended the group), this paper presents feedback from the mothers who participated together with their children in the group. Theories and methods which the music therapist has found helpful in her work with the group are also discussed, such as the “back to basics” music therapy approach (Drake 2008) which draws on attachment theory (Bowlby 1988) and the writings of Winnicott (1960, 1963, 1971). Continuity is discussed in terms of helping the group to develop a safe environment to which the mothers and children repeatedly returned. It is proposed that the process of developing this safe environment in turn, may eventually lead to the type of parent networking that may be able to support children with learning disabilities throughout their lifetime.

AbstractParamita Winny HapsariThis research uses descriptive method with qualitative approach. This study would like to see the contribution of VOCALOID to the development of doujin music in Japan. Japan with a high level of creativity can make innovations in various things, let alone music. VOCALOID as one of the ways of Japanese innovation in creating a musical masterpiece. VOCALOID is a sound synthesis software that enables users who do not have a vocalist to be able to create the song intact. Doujin works as indie works. Music doujin is a sub category of doujin. VOCALOID-based music is different from doujin music in general. It requires enormous collaboration, which is not centered on a single group in producing the whole work. VOCALOID provides a new color in the development of doujin music in Japan and also stimulates the formation of the next derivative products in Japanese popular culture.Keywords: Music, VOCALOID, Japan

Abstract Background Functional constipation (FC), a functional bowel disorder with symptoms of constipation, has considerable impact on quality of life. As data regarding its prevalence and epidemiology are lacking, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, population composition, lifestyle, quality of life, and clinical characteristics of these individuals by comparing people with and without FC. These parameters were also compared among individuals with strong and weak awareness of constipation. Methods An internet survey was conducted among 10,000 individuals aged 20–69 years from the general Japanese population; they were registered with an internet survey company. The following data were obtained: age, sex, educational history, occupation, residence, history of other diseases, lifestyle (including smoking/drinking habits using the Japanese Health Practice Index, medication use, symptoms of constipation according to the Rome III criteria, stool types according to the Bristol stool scale, and use of laxatives, including the place of purchase and cost per month or acceptable cost per month. The 8-item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire was also used; FC was diagnosed based on Rome III criteria. All respondents were classified according to their awareness of constipation (i.e. strong or weak), and their characteristic features were compared. Results The data of 3000 respondents were evaluated; 262 (8.7%) had FC, which was common among older adults, women, and homemakers. FC was associated with changes in the frequency of bowel movement, sensation of incomplete or scanty evacuation, and the use of manual maneuvers; these are consequential clinical symptoms of FC. These individuals frequently skipped breakfast, had insufficient sleep, had more severe constipation, and had purchased laxatives in pharmacies or online more often than those without FC. A strong awareness of constipation was significantly more prevalent among women and homemakers. A history of anemia and cardiovascular disease was significantly more frequent in the strong awareness group, whereas a history of hypertension was more frequent in the weak awareness group. Conclusions Appropriate and comprehensive management should be provided for FC, based on the understanding of its characteristic features and considering the symptoms and lifestyle.

Background and purposeJapanese elementary school children are trained in arts and crafts, music, arithmetic, the Japanese language, life environment studies, physical education, and so on. Children must learn through doing as they develop physically, because the range of activities in their daily lives is still narrow. Subject learning is inseparable from daily life. Teachers should plan lessons with an awareness of the physicality of activities. Therefore, this study clarified the relationship between the ability for skillful and quick physical movement and subject learning among Japanese elementary school students.MethodsFor the second to fourth grades of elementary school, the measurement results and subject evaluation (skill) were compared at the individual level. Students were divided into a group with high grades in subject learning and one with middle and lower grades, and a t-test was conducted to observe if there was a significant difference in the records of two physical activities: repeated side jump and softball throw.Main findingsSignificant difference was found for repeated side jumps depending on whether the arts and crafts grades were high for all children in grades 2–4. Additionally, there was a significant difference in softball throwing records between the second and third graders, depending on whether the children’s performance in arts and crafts was high. Conversely, there was no significant difference between the second to fourth grade children’s musical scores and repeated side jump records. There was a negative correlation between sophomore and senior year music performances and the softball throwing record. Thus, the development of children’s dexterity is related to subject learning.ConclusionConsidering that elementary school teachers spend sufficient time with children on a daily basis teaching subjects such as physical education and music, it may be beneficial for them to be aware of dexterity’s importance across multiple subjects. Furthermore, it allows for an approach that engages children in physical activities from early childhood which can help in preparing them for learning a variety of subjects in school.

Neither mere flesh nor mere thing, the yellow woman, straddling the person-thing divide, applies tremendous pressures on politically treasured notions of agency, feminist enfleshment, and human ontology. — Anne Anlin Cheng, OrnamentalismIn this (apparently) very versatile piece of clothing, she [Michelle Zauner] smokes, sings karaoke, rides motorcycles, plays a killer guitar solo … and much more. Is there anything you can’t do in a hanbok?— Li-Wei Chu, commentary, From the Intercom IntroductionAnne Anlin Cheng describes the anomaly of being “the yellow woman”, women of Asian descent in Western contexts, by underlining the haunting effects of this artificial identity on multiple politically valent forms, especially through Asian women’s conceived ambivalent relations to subject- and object-hood. Due to the entangled constructiveness conjoining Asiatic identities with objects, things, and ornaments, Cheng calls for new ways to “accommodate the deeper, stranger, more intricate, and more ineffable (con)fusion between thingness and personness instantiated by Asiatic femininity and its unpredictable object life” (14). Following this call, this essay articulates a creative combination of José Esteban Muñoz’s disidentification and Avery Gordon’s haunting theory to account for some hauntingly disidentificatory ways that the performance of diaspora sensibilities reimagines Asian American life and femininity.This essay considers “Everybody Wants to Love You” (2016) (EWLY), the music video of Michelle Zauner’s solo musical project Japanese Breakfast, as a ghostly performance, which features a celebration of the Korean culture and identity of Zauner (Song). I analyse it as a site for identifying the confrontational moments and haunting effects of the diaspora sensibilities performed by Zauner who is in fact Jewish-Korean-American. Directed by Zauner and Adam Kolodny, the music video of EWLY features the persona that I call the Korean woman orchestrated by Zauner, singing in a restroom cubicle, eating a Dunkin Donuts sandwich, shotgunning a beer, shredding a Fender electric guitar on the hood of a truck, riding a motorcycle with her queer lover, and partying with a crowd all in the traditional Korean attire hanbok that used to belong to her late mother. The story ends with Zauner waking up on a bench with a hangover and fleeing from the scene, conjuring up a journey of self-discovery, self-healing, and self-liberation through multiple sites and scenes of everyday life.What I call a ghostly performance is concerned with Avery Gordon’s creative intervention of haunting as a method of social analysis to study the intricate lingering impact of ghostly matters from the past on the present. Jacques Derrida develops hauntology to describe how Marxism continues to haunt Western societies even after its so-called failure. It refers to a status that something is neither present nor absent. Gordon develops haunting as a way of knowing and a method of knowledge production, “forcing a confrontation, forking the future and the past” (xvii). A ghostly performance is thus where ghostly matters are mobilised in “confrontational moments”:when things are not in their assigned places, when the cracks and rigging are exposed, when the people who are meant to be invisible show up without any sign of leaving, when disturbed feelings cannot be put away, when something else, something different from before, seems like it must be done. (xvi)The interstitiality that transgresses and reconfigures the geographical and temporal borders of nation, culture, and Eurocentric discourses of progression is important for understanding the diverse experiences of diaspora sensibilities as critical double consciousness (Dayal 48, 53). As Gordon suggests, confrontational moments force us to confront and expose the interstitial state of objects, subjects, feelings, and conditions. Hence, to understand this study identifies the confrontational moments in Zauner’s performance as a method to identify and deconstruct the triggering moments of diaspora sensibilities.While deconstructing the ghostly performances of diaspora sensibilities, the essay also adopts an object-oriented approach to serve as a focused entry point. Not only does this approach designate a more focused scope with regard to applying Gordon’s hauntology and Muñoz’s disidentification theory, it also taps into a less attended territory of object theories such as Graham Harman’s and Ian Bogost’s object-oriented ontology due to the overlooking of the relationship between objects and racialisation that is much explored in Asian American and critical race and ethnic studies (Shomura). Moreover, while diaspora as, or not as, an object of study has been a contested topic (e.g., Axel; Cho), the objects of diaspora have been less studied.This essay elaborates on two ghostly matters: the hanbok and the manicured nails. It uncovers two haunting effects throughout the analysis: the conjuring-up of the Korean diaspora and the troubling of everyday post-racial America. By defying the objectification of Asian bodies with objects of diaspora and refusing to assimilate into the American nightlife, Zauner’s Korean woman persona haunts a multiculturalist post-racial America that fails to recognise the specificities and historicity of Korean America and performs an alternative reality. Disidentificatory ghostly performance therefore, I suggest, thrives on confrontations between the past and the present while gesturing toward the futurities of alternative Americas. Mobilising the critical lenses of disidentification and ghostly performance, finally, I aver that disidentificatory ghostly performances have great potential for envisioning a better politics of performing and representing Asian bodies through the ghostly play of haunting objects/ghostly matters.The Embodied (Objects) and the Disembodied (Ghosts) of DisidentificationThe sonic-visual lifeworld constructed in the music video of EWLY is, first of all, a cultural public sphere, through which social norms are contested, reimagined, and reconfigured. A cultural public sphere reveals the imbricated relations between the political, the public, and the personal as contested through affective (aesthetic and emotional) communications (McGuigan 15). Considering the sonic-visual landscape as a cultural public sphere foregrounds two dimensions of Gordon’s hauntology theory: the psychological and the sociopolitical states. The emphasis on its affective communicative capacities enables the psychological reach of a cultural production. Meanwhile, the multilayered articulation of the political, the public, and the personal shows the inner-network of acts of haunting even when they happen chiefly on the sociopolitical level. What is crucial about cultural public spheres for minoritarian subjects is the creative space offered for negotiating one’s position in capacious and flexible ways that non-cultural publics may not allow. One of the ways is through imagination and disputation (McGuigan 16). The idea that imagination and disputation may cause a temporal and spatial disjunction with the present is important for Muñoz’s theorisation of disidentification. With such disjunction, Muñoz believes, queer of colour performances create future-oriented visions and coterminous temporality of the present and the future. These future-oriented visions and the coterminous temporality can be thought through disidentifications, which Muñoz identifies asa performative mode of tactical recognition that various minoritarian subjects employ in an effort to resist the oppressive and normalizing discourse of dominant ideology. Disidentification resists the interpellating call of ideology that fixes a subject within the state power apparatus. It is a reformatting of self within the social. It is a third term that resists the binary of identification and counteridentification. (97)Disidentification offers a method to identify specific moments of imagination and disputation and moments of temporal and spatial disjunction. The most distinct example of the co-nature of imagination and disputation residing in the EWLY lifeworld is the persona of the Korean woman orchestrated by Zauner, as she intrudes into the everyday field of American life in a hanbok, such as a bar, a basketball court, and a convenience store. Gordon would call these moments “confrontational moments” (xvi). When performers don’t perform in ways they are supposed to perform, when they don’t operate objects in ways they are supposed to operate, when they don’t mobilise feelings in ways they are supposed to feel, they resist and disidentify with “the oppressive and normalizing discourse of dominant ideology” (Muñoz 97).In addition to Muñoz’s disidentification and Gordon’s confrontational moments, I adopt an object-oriented approach to guide my analysis of disidentificatory ghostly performances. Object theory departs from objects and matters to rediscover identity and experience. My object-oriented approach follows new materialism more closely than object-oriented ontology because it is less about debating the ontology of Asian American experiences through the lens of objects. Instead, it is more about how re-orienting our attention towards the formation and operation of objecthood reveals and reconfigures the vexed articulation between Asian American experiences and racialised objectification. To this end, my oriented-object approach aligns particularly well with politically engaged frameworks such as Jane Bennett’s vital materialism and Eunjung Kim’s ethics of objects.Taking an object-oriented approach in inquiring Asian American identities could be paradoxically intervening because “Asian Americans have been excluded, exploited, and treated as capital because they have been more closely associated to nonhuman objects than to human subjects” (Shomura). Furthermore, this objectification is doubly performed onto the bodies of Asian American women due to the Orientalist conflations of Asia as feminine (Huang 187). Therefore, applying object theory in the case of EWLY requires special attention to the interplay between subject- and object-hood and the line between objecthood and objectification. To avoid the risk of objectification when exploring the objecthood of ghostly matters, I caution against an objects-define-subjects chain of signification and instead suggest a subjects-operate-objects route of inquiry by attending to both the haunting effects of objects and how subjects mobilise such haunting effects in their performance. From a new materialist perspective, it is also important to disassociate problems of objectification from exploration of objecthood (Kim) while excavating the world-making abilities of objects (Bennett). For diasporic peoples, it means to see objects as affective and nostalgic vessels, such as toys, food, family photos, attire, and personal items (e.g., Oum), where traumas of displacement can be stored and rehearsed (Turan 54).What is revealing from a racialised subject-object relationship is what Christopher Bush calls “the ethnicity of things”: things can have ethnicity, an identification that hinges on the articulation that “thingliness can be constituted in ways analogous and related to structures of racialization” (85). This object-oriented approach to inquiry can expose the artificial nature of the affinity between Asian bodies and certain objects, behind which is a confession of naturalised racial order of signification. One way to disrupt this chain of signification is to excavate the haunting objects that disidentify with the norms of the present, that conjure up what the present wants to be done. This “something-to-be-done” characteristic is critical to acts of haunting (Gordon xvii). Such disruptive performances are what I term as “disidentificatory ghostly performances”, connecting the embodied objects with Gordon’s disembodied ghosts through the lens of Muñoz’s disidentificatory reading with a two-fold impact: first exposing such artificial affinity and then suggesting alternative ways of knowing.In what follows, I expand upon two haunting objects/ghostly matters: the manicured nails and the hanbok. I contend that Zauner operates these haunting objects to embody the “something-to-be-done” characteristic by curating uncomfortable, confrontational moments, where the constituted affinity between Koreanness/Asianness and anomaly is instantiated and unsettled in multiple snippets of the mundane post-racial, post-globalisation world.What Can the Korean Woman (Not) Do with Those Nails and in That Hanbok?The hanbok that Zauner wears throughout the music video might be the single most powerful haunting object in the story. This authentic hanbok belonged to Zauner’s late mother who wore it to her wedding. Dressing in the hanbok while navigating the nightlife, it becomes a mediated, trans-temporal experience for both Zauner and her mother. A ghostly journey, you could call it. The hanbok then becomes a ghostly matter that haunts both the Orientalist gaze and the grieving Zauner. This journey could be seen as a process of dealing with personal loss, a process of “reckoning with ghosts” (Gordon 190). The division between the personal and the public, the historical and the present cease to exist as linear and clear-cut forces. The important role of ghosts in the performance are the efforts of historicising and specifying the persona of the Korean woman, which is a strategy for minoritarian performers to resist “the pull of reductive multicultural pluralism” (Muñoz 147). These ghostly matters haunt a pluralist multiculturalist post-racial America that refuses to see minor specificities and historicity.The Korean woman in an authentic hanbok, coupled with other objects of Korean roots, such as a traditional hairdo and seemingly exotic makeup, may invite the Orientalist gaze or the assumption that Zauner is self-commodifying and self-fetishising Korean culture, risking what Cheng calls “Oriental female objectification” operating through “the lenses of commodity and sexual fetishism” (14). However, she “fails” to do any of these. The ways Zauner acts in the hanbok manifests a self-negotiation with her Korean identity through disidentificatory sensibilities with racial fetishism. For example, in various scenes, the Korean woman appears to be drunk in a bar, gorging a sandwich, shotgunning a beer, smoking in a restroom cubicle, messing with strangers in a basketball court, rocking on a truck, and falling asleep on a bench. Some may describe what she does as abnormal, discomforting, and even disgusting in a traditional Korean garment which is usually worn on formal occasions. The Korean woman not only subverts her traditional Koreanness but also disidentifies with what the Asian fetish requires of Asian bodies: obedient, well-behaved model minority or the hypersexualised dragon lady (e.g., Hsu; Shimizu). Zauner’s performance foregrounds the sentimental, the messy, the frenetic, the aggressive, and the carnivalesque as essential qualities and sensibilities of the Korean woman. These rarely visible figurations of Asian femininities speak to the normalised public disappearance of “unwanted” sides of Asian bodies.Wavering public disappearance is a crucial haunting effect. The public disappearance is an “organized system of repression” (Gordon 72) and a “state-sponsored procedure for producing ghosts to harrowingly haunt a population into submission” (115). While the journey of EWLY evolves through ups and downs, the Korean woman does not maintain the ephemeral joy and takes offence at the people and surroundings now and then, such as at an arcade in the bar, at some basketball players, or at the audience or the camera operator. The performed disaffection and the conflicts substantiate a theory of “positive perversity” through which Asian American women claim the representation of their sexuality and desires (Shimizu), engendering a strong and visible presence of the ghostly matters operated by the Korean woman. This noticeable arrival of bodies disorients how things are arranged (Ahmed 163), revealing and disrupting whiteness, which functions as a habit and a background to actions (149). The confrontational performances of the encounters between Zauner and others cast a critique of the racial politics of disappearing by reifying disappearing into confrontational moments in the everyday post-racial world.What is also integral to Zauner’s antagonistic performance of wavering public disappearing and failure of “Oriental female objectification” is a punk strategy of negativity through an aesthetic of nihilism and a mediation of performing objects. For example, in addition to the traditional hairdo that goes with her makeup, Zauner also wears a nose ring; in addition to partying with a crowd, she adopts a moshing style of dancing, being carried over people’s heads in the hanbok. All these, in addition to her disaffectionate, aggressive, and impolite body language, express a negative punk aesthetics. Muñoz describes such a negative punk aesthetics as an energy that can be described “as chaotic, as creating a life without rhyme or reason, as quintessentially self-destructive” (97). What lies at the heart of this punk dystopia is the desire for “something else”, something “not the present time or place” (Muñoz). Through this desire for impossible time and place, utopian is reimagined, a race riot, in Mimi Thi Nguyen’s term.On the other hand, the manicured fingernails are also a major operating force, reminiscent of Korean American immigrant history along with the racialised labor relations that have marked Korean bodies as an alien anomaly (Liu). With “Japanese Breakfast” being written on the screen in neon pink with some dazzling effect, the music video begins in a warm tone. The story begins with Zauner selecting EWLY with her finger on a karaoke operation screen, the first of many shots on her carefully manicured nails, decorated with transparent nail extensions, sparkly ornaments, and hanging fine chains. These nails conjure up the nail salon business in the US that heavily depended on immigrant labor and Korean women immigrants have made significant economic contributions through the manicure business. In particular, differently from Los Angeles where nail salons have been predominantly Vietnamese and Chinese owned, Korean women immigrants in the 1980s were the first ones to open nail salons in New York City and led to the rapid growth of the business (Kang 51). The manicured nails first of all conjure up these recent histories associated with the nail salon business.Moreover, these fingernails haunt post-racial and post-globalisation America by revealing and subverting the invisible, normalised racial and ethnic nature of the labor and objects associated with fingernails cosmetic treatment. Ghostly matters inform “a method of knowledge production and a way of writing that could represent the damage and the haunting of the historical alternatives” (Gordon xvii). They function as a reminder of the damage that seems forgotten or normalised in modern societies and as an alternative embodiment of what modern societies could have become. In the universe of EWLY, the fingernails become a forceful ghostly matter by reminding us of the damage done onto Korean bodies by fixing them as service performers instead customers. The nail salon business as performed by immigrant labor has been a business of “buying and selling of deference and attentiveness”, where white customers come to exercise their privilege while not wanting anything associated with Koreaness or Otherness (Kang 134). However, as a haunting force, the fingernails subvert such labor relations by acting as a versatile agent operating varied objects, such as a karaoke machine, cigarettes, a sandwich, a Fender guitar, and a can of beer. Through such operating, an alternative labor relation is formed. This alternative is not entirely without roots. As promoted in Japanese Breakfast’s Instagram (@jbrekkie), Zauner’s look was styled by a nail artist who appears to be a white female, Celeste Marie Welch from the DnA Salon based in Philadelphia. This is a snippet of a field that is now a glocalised industry, where the racial and gender makeup is more diverse. It is increasingly easier to see non-Asian and non-female nail salon workers, among whom white nail salon workers outnumbered any other non-Asian racial/ethnic groups (Preeti et al. 23). EWLY’s alternative worldmaking is not only a mere reflection of the changing makeup of an industry but also calling out the societal tendency of forgetting histories. To be haunted, as Gordon explains, is to be “tied to historical and social effects” (190). The ghostly matters of the manicure industry haunt its workers, artists, consumers, and businesspeople of a past that prescribes racialised labor divisions, consumption relations, and the historical and social effects inflicted on the Othered bodies. Performing with the manicured nails, Zauner challenges now supposedly multicultural manicure culture by fusing oppositional, trans-temporal identities into the persona of the Korean woman. Not only does she conjure up the racialised labor relations as the child of a Korean mother, she also disidentifies with the worker identity of early Korean women immigrants as a consumer who receives service from an artist who would otherwise never perform such labor in the past.Conclusion: Toward a Disidentificatory Ghostly PerformanceThis essay suggests seeing the disidentificatory ghostly performance of the Korean woman as an artistic incarnation of her lived Othering experience, which Zauner may or may not navigate on an everyday basis. As Zauner lives through what looks like a typical Friday night in an American town, the journey represents an interrogation of the present and the past. When the ghostly matters move through public spaces – when she drinks in a bar, walks down the street, and parties with a crowd – the Korean woman neither conforms to what she is expected to do in a hanbok nor does she get fully assimilated into this American nightlife.Derrida avers that haunting, repression, and hegemony are structurally interlocked and that “haunting belongs to the structure of every hegemony” because “hegemony still organizes the repression” (46). This is why the creative capacity of disidentificatory performances is crucial for acts of haunting and for historically repressed groups of people. Conjoining the future-oriented performative mode of disidentification and the forking of the past and the present by ghostly performances, disidentificatory ghostly performances enable not only people of colour but also particularly diasporic populations of colour to challenge racial chains of signification and orchestrate future-oriented visions, where time is of the most compassion, at its utmost capacity.ReferencesAhmed, Sara. “A Phenomenology of Whiteness.” Feminist Theory 8.2 (2007): 149–168.Axel, Brian Keith. “Time and Threat: Questioning the Production of the Diaspora as an Object of Study.” History and Anthropology 9.4 (1996): 415–443.Bennett, Jane. Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things. Durham: Duke UP, 2010.Bogost, Ian. Alien Phenomenology, or, What It’s Like to Be a Thing. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2012.Bush, Christopher. “The Ethnicity of Things in America’s Lacquered Age.” Representations 99.1 (2007): 74–98. Cheng, Anne Anlin. Ornamentalism. New York: Oxford UP, 2019.Cho, Lily. “The Turn to Diaspora.” Topia: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies 17 (2007): 11–30.Chu, Li-Wei. “MV Throwback: Japanese Breakfast – ‘Everybody Wants to Love You’.” From the Intercom, 23 Aug. 2018. <https://fromtheintercom.com/mv-throwback-japanese-breakfast-everybody-wants-to-love-you/>.Dayal, Samir. “Diaspora and Double Consciousness.” The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 29.1 (1996): 46–62. Derrida, Jacques. Specters of Marx: The State of the Debt, the Work of Mourning, and the New International. London: Routledge, 1994.Gordon, Avery. Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2008. Harman, Graham. Prince of Networks: Bruno Latour and Metaphysics. Melbourne: re.press, 2009.Hsu, Madeline Yuan-yin. The Good Immigrants: How the Yellow Peril Became the Model Minority. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP, 2015.Huang, Vivian L. “Inscrutably, Actually: Hospitality, Parasitism, and the Silent Work of Yoko Ono and Laurel Nakadate.” Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory 28.3 (2018): 187–203.Japanese Breakfast. “Japanese Breakfast – Everybody Wants to Love You (Official Video).” YouTube, 20 Sep. 2016. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNT7wuqaykc>.Kang, Miliann. The Managed Hand: Race, Gender, and the Body in Beauty Service Work. Berkeley: U of California P, 2010.Kim, E. “Unbecoming Human: An Ethics of Objects.” GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 21.2–3 (2015): 295–320.Liu, Runchao. “Retro Objects, Alien Objects.” In Media Res. 12 Dec. 2018. <http://mediacommons.org/imr/content/retro-objects-alien-objects>.McGuigan, Jim. Cultural Analysis. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2010.Muñoz, José Esteban. Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1999.———. “‘Gimme Gimme This ... Gimme Gimme That’: Annihilation and Innovation in the Punk Rock Commons.” Social Text 31.3 (2013): 95–110.Nguyen, Mimi Thi. “Riot Grrrl, Race, and Revival.” Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory 22.2–3 (2012): 173–196. Oum, Young Rae. “Authenticity and Representation: Cuisines and Identities in Korean-American Diaspora.” Postcolonial Studies 8.1 (2005): 109–125.Sharma, Preeti, et al. “Nail File: A Study of Nail Salon Workers and Industry in the United States.” UCLA Labor Center and California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, 2018.Shimizu, Celine Parrenas. The Hypersexuality of Race: Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 2007.Shomura, Chad. “Object Theory and Asian American Literature.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature. New York: Oxford UP, 2020.Song, Sandra. “Japanese Breakfast Is the Korean-American Songwriter Empowering Everyone to Overcome.” Teen Vogue. 14 July 2017. <http://www.teenvogue.com/story/japanese-breakfast-songwriter-empowering-everyone-overcome>.Turan, Zeynep. “Material Objects as Facilitating Environments: The Palestinian Diaspora.” Home Cultures 7.1 (2010): 43–56.

Anomaly: something different, abnormal, peculiar, not easily classified or classifiable; a deviation; a detour. Something out of time and out of place. No longer can we read the anomaly without considering the larger global crisis of COVID-19. Where were we if not out of time during the temporal disjunction – time out of joint, after Shakespeare – of worldwide lockdowns, which coincided with the time of proposal and submission, the time of reading and editing this issue? Where were we, as scholars in North America, if not out of place when we set out to curate a collection of essays in a journal which “originated” down under? A related question: what happens when the anomaly becomes standardised as the norm?Daniel Fineman’s “The Anomaly of Anomaly of Anomaly” inverts the paradigm of scientific expression, opening the “philosophically unassailable” to “metaphysical, political, and ethical challenge” to make a claim about the anomaly as a reflection of global misrepresentation and the prevailing powers of governance. To accomplish this, Fineman returns to the metrics system, the cooptation of the 18th century’s democratic revolutions by “representative” governments, and the so-called “Second Law of Thermodynamics”.What happens, moreover, when anomaly falls back onto social practices, and informs the way academia perceives social formations? Christopher Little raises this issue when reviewing the literature produced on “Chav” subculture, and how the anomalous Chav intersects with race, class, ethnicity, and consumer culture.The ways in which social practices inform and intersect with national patterns of belonging and exclusion have never been more apparent than during the current pandemic. In Michelle Aung Thin’s contribution, the smartphone is read as an anomalous, hybrid, and foreign object with connotations of fluidity and connection, all dangerous qualities in Myanmar, a conservative, former pariah state. Within the framework of recent scholarship on mixed race identification and affect theory, Aung Thin addresses deeply held fears around ethnic belonging, cultural adeptness, and hybridity, tracing these anxieties to the original scene of colonisation. The smartphone, in her essay, acts as a conduit – between pre-colonial Mandalay and contemporary Yangon – and a reminder of historical trauma.In an essay that unpacks the complexity of a music video by Japanese Breakfast, the solo musical project of Michelle Zauner, Runchao Liu posits identificatory ghostly performances as a locus of confrontation between past and present. In her analysis of what she defines as “ghostly matters: the hanbok and the manicured nails”, Liu locates both “the conjuring-up of the Korean diaspora and the troubling of everyday post-racial America”, where the connections between ethnic concerns and anomaly are both discomposed and concretised. Starting from the theoretical premises laid out by Gilles Deleuze, who maintained that computational processes were incompatible with anomaly, Emma Stamm sets out to prove the contrary, grounding her analysis on the work of M. Beatrice Fazi, while applying it to the specific field of live-coded music. Through a close treatment of the improvisational techniques involved in the processes of writing audio computer functions for the production of “sound in real time”, Stamm herself produces a characterisation of the aesthetic dimensions of live coding that problematises the divisions between discrete and continuous media.The anomalous body of the freak, from its early manifestation to its contemporary manufactured exaggeration of contemporary beauty standards, is the subject of Siobhan Lyons’s investigation of the freak as biological anomaly. Drawing on the parallel ascent of “Catwoman” and real-life “Barbie”, the author connects earlier manifestations of the biological freak to the mediatic resonance given to what she defines as “the twenty-first century surgical freak”.Jasmine Chen’s exploration of Pili puppetry, a popular TV series depicting martial arts-based narratives and fight sequences, reveals how this “anomalous media form ... proliferates anomalous media viewing experiences and desires in turn”. Her attention to the culture of fandom and cosplay attends to a broader structural shift: the “reversible dialectic between fan-star and flesh-object”.Shifting this volume’s inquiry from popular culture to architecture, we turn to Patrick Leslie West and Cher Coad, and their close reading of the CCTV Headquarters as “an anomaly within an anomaly in contemporary Beijing’s urban landscape”, due to the collision of classical China and the “predominantly capitalist and neo-liberalist ‘social relationship’ of China and the Western world”. Recalling Roberto Schwarz’s argument, that “forms are the abstract of specific social relationships” (53), the authors conclude that the real “site of this unsettlement” is data. We end where we begin, with our featured article by Bronwyn Fredericks, who includes architecture among the practices that have evidenced the fraught relationship between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous people, using the University of Queensland and its Great Court as a landscape and a case study. Dismantling the perception of Indigeneity as anomalous, Fredericks articulates the visibility of Indigenous voices and sovereignty, ultimately establishing their presence and power through mixed-media events and collaborative writing productions.Ultimately, our aim for this issue, and the response of its contributions, revolve on this question of power relations, and, indeed, on the politics of presence: to make anomaly visible, not as outlier or aberration, but as meta-textual shift, a symptom of and a reaction to larger conditions encompassing and obscured by the technical processes of logistics and the neoliberal governance that organise our everyday life. We hope that closer consideration to such a performative shift, explored here in its multiple and various facets, might also constitute a critical response.ReferencesSchwarz, Roberto. Misplaced Ideas: Essays on Brazilian Culture. New York: Verso, 1992.

Voice synthesising software Vocaloid (Yamaha Corporation) is a popular tool for professional and amateur music production. At the time of writing, there are over 770,000 videos tagged ‘vocaloid’ on Niconico; karaoke chain Karatez displays the top five thousand tracks on its Website (Karatetsu); Hatsune Miku Wiki has over 59,000 pages, while the Vocaloid Lyrics Wiki has over 90,000. Vocaloid is part of Japan’s unique media mix, comprising of the software and music but also official collaborations and a significant amount of fan culture. However, while there is academic research on the way that Vocaloid music is produced and consumed (Sousa; Hamasaki et al.; Leavitt et al.; Kobayashi and Taguchi), there is a lack of research into the content of Vocaloid songs and music videos: that is, what kinds of themes and messages are present and what this might suggest for producers and consumers. This article highlights the importance of the content of Vocaloid music. To this end, I have focussed on Vocaloid composer/producer Neru’s 2018 album CYNICISM. Not to be confused with the Vocaloid Akita Neru, Neru’s music tends to focus on negative affect such as depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Documenting such themes helps to illustrate some of the struggles that producers and consumers experience. I provide a brief explanation of Vocaloid, followed by a reflection on their personas and functioning as a Body without Organs (Annett; Lam; Deleuze and Guattari, Anti-Oedipus). Then I introduce Small’s concept of musicking to provide a framework for the way that music transmits certain affects. In the second half of the article, I unpack Neru’s album and its use of imagery, lyrics, and sound. Vocaloids Voice synthesising software Vocaloid was initially released in 2004, the result of a collaboration between Japan’s Yamaha Corporation and Spain’s Pompeu Fabra University (Voctro Labs; Yamada 17). This software allows the user to create singing audio, drawing from recordings of real people called “voicebanks”. These voicebanks are produced by third-party companies, and are typically provided with a persona with an appearance and personality. For instance, the most well-known Vocaloid is Hatsune Miku, while Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len are those most used by Neru. Essentially anyone who uses the Vocaloid software can become producers – the term used in Vocaloid cultures for composer. Vocaloid is an example of Japan’s “unique media mix”, where the media are produced not just by “the original company”, but also via “commercial collaborations with media franchises”, and “by a creative collective of individuals on the internet” (Leavitt et al. 204 & 211; see also Steinberg). As well as producers there are songwriters, lyricists, tuners, illustrators, and animators. Some people edit Vocaloid videos, creating compilations, ranking them, and so on (Hamasaki et al. 166). There is also a vibrant fan culture of database managers, fan translators, artists, and fiction writers, as well as human cover artists (utaite), such as Mafumafu, who became popular in part due to his covers of Neru’s music. Official corporate production mostly involves Hatsune Miku, and includes concerts, video games, and collaborations for consumer products. Such branding and collaboration illustrates the creation of a complex Vocaloid narrative. Accordingly, most researchers who examine Vocaloid discuss the complex relationships between various content creators and their methods of collaboration (Yamada), as well as Vocaloid as fan-generated media, examining issues such as commercial interest and exploitation (Bell; Sousa; Jørgensen et al.; To; Kobayashi and Taguchi). However, in this article I am interested in why fans strongly enjoy Vocaloid music and find meaning in it; as I will explore below, such fan collaboration is both a symptom and a cause. Personas and Bodies without Organs Although Vocaloid has a crowd-sourced and collaborative production environment, its use of digital voicebanks and significant consumer culture has led to criticism. For instance, Lam (1110–11) describes voicebanks as being “devoid of originality”, suggests that “all Vocaloid works are derivative”, and also that Vocaloid simply allows users “to indulge … within the virtual space of fabricated authenticity and depthlessness”. However, it is evident from comments on Niconico, YouTube, Reddit, the aforementioned Wikis, Vocaloid Discord servers, and any other space where fans socialise that listeners are emotionally moved by Vocaloid music. Zaborowski, for instance, describes two Japanese boys enthusiastically singing to ryo/Supercell’s Melt. Strikingly, Zaborowski (107) noted that the boys repeatedly told him that “precisely because the voice is the same, the listener can appreciate the quality of the melody and the lyrics”, and that a Vocaloid “sounds different when you are sad. Or when you are away from home”. Listeners are experiencing something when they engage with Vocaloid music, and it would be hasty to simply dismiss their experiences as “depthless”. One factor that makes Vocaloid music particularly authentic and affective for its audiences is the attachment of crowdsourced, constructed personas to Vocaloids. Authenticity here is not necessarily evaluated by the virtual nature of the artist (or instrument) itself, but the producers’ effort to create the work (Zaborowski 107). In this sense there is a need to consider the people involved in producing and listening to Vocaloid music, who find meaning in the songs and characters. Aside from Vocaloids, producers and utaite often also establish a character or imagery as a persona. Neru for instance is recognisable through his avatar—a closed eye with eyelashes and a single tear, and the various characters featured in his videos. The practice of creating a persona for non-human items is unique to Japanese culture, visible in the way that yuru kyara or “wobbly characters” are created to represent entities such as events, corporations, locations, policies, and so on (Occhi 77). These characters can be human-like or creature-like, drawing on Shinto’s anthropomorphism (Jensen and Blok 97). Kyara help minimise the separation between humans and nature, as well as humans and technology (Occhi 80–81). The attachment of kyara to voicebanks, which would otherwise have no face, helps to facilitate a sense of humanisation and connection with the software. It may be that the synthetic nature of the music as well as the use of personas in Vocaloid music means that the listener feels that the song is sung by the Vocaloid, but also processes the creator’s emotion. Kenmochi (4), for instance, suggests that since synthetic voices hold less emotion, it is the persona that functions as a symbol to connect the creator and listener. The producer is able to “impose their own values and perceptions on the virtual character” (Lam 1111), and in doing so, the persona functions as what Deleuze and Guattari call a Body without Organs (Anti-Oedipus 9; A Thousand Plateaus 151). That is, the persona has “no fixed identity” (Lam 1117), and can stratify or destratify, depending on what people do with it (Annett 172). They can become whatever the listener or creator wants, and so there is an emotional connection. Vocaloid music is meaningful to listeners, then, not despite its digital, virtual, constructed nature, but in fact because of what these elements facilitate. Musicking Christopher Small’s work Musicking also provides a framework useful to consider the emotional impact of Vocaloid music. Small argues that “the fundamental nature and meaning of music lie not in objects … but in action”, and therefore proposes a definition of ‘musicking’; to “take part, in any capacity, in a musical performance” (8–9, emphasis omitted). Importantly, for Small (77) simply listening to a recording is to take part in music, and “we may be sure that somebody's values are being explored, affirmed, and celebrated in every musical performance”. Small’s comments here provide a framework for focussing on the experiences of the people involved in producing and listening to Vocaloid music, rather than getting caught up in negative beliefs around the digital nature of production. Further, reflecting on remix, a significant aspect of Vocaloid music, Small (214) notes that relationships are “open to reinterpretation over and over again as listeners create new contexts for their reception and their ritual use of it”. Further, Small (134) suggests that the act of musicking functions as a powerful “means of social definition and self-definition”. Small’s suggestions here that music can be recycled, reinterpreted, and used for self-definition aligns with many aspects of Vocaloid music; tracks are frequently covered by producers using other Vocaloids, or utaite; the meanings of lyrics are frequently discussed in comment sections of YouTube videos and Wikis, and fans often align themselves with certain Vocaloids or producers that they enjoy and relate to. Such self-definition is an important theme to keep in mind when I consider Neru’s CYNICISM album as it touches on societal issues such as loneliness, nihilism, and low self-esteem. CYNICISM Vocaloid producer Neru, also known as z’5 or Oshiire-P, is quite popular. At the time of writing, he has 124,000 followers on Japanese video-sharing site Niconico (Neru, "Neru"), 242,000 on Chinese video-sharing site BiliBili (Neru, "Neru_Official"), 388,000 monthly listeners on Spotify (Spotify), and 560,000 subscribers on YouTube (Neru, "Neru OFFICIAL"). He released his first Vocaloid song in 2009, and to date has three major albums. CYNICISM is the latest, released in 2018. The standard edition contains 14 tracks, and all aside from one use the Vocaloids Kagamine Rin or Kagamine Len. Fig. 1: CYNICISM standard edition, illustrated by Sudou Souta (Apple Music) Fig. 2: Tracklist All quotes from songs are my own translations from the original Japanese. The CYNICISM album communicates a strong sense of nihilism. Nihilism is an ambiguous concept (Nietzsche 76; Diken 6; Marmysz 61). However, Marmysz (71) summarises that nihilists have three claims: that humans are alienated from the world; that this should not be the case; and that “there is nothing we can do” about this situation. As explored below, Neru’s nihilism appears to align with Kant’s “existential nihilism (believing that life has no meaning)” (Gertz, ch. 2, emphasis omitted). It is worth noting that Neru’s music has some commonalities with other genres. For instance, Prinz (584–85) suggests that punk music is irreverent, challenging social norms, and is nihilistic, reflecting on themes such as “decay, despair, suicide, and societal collapse”. As explored below, CYNICISM projects feelings including disappointment with society, poor self-esteem, and themes of irreverence. Irreverence and Society The namesake of the album is important to note within the context of nihilism, as cynicism can be understood as “a passive nihilist affect” (Diken 61). Cynicism is the attitude that comes about when one has failed “to come to terms with loss”, “to realize that something has been lost”, or understand exactly what has been lost. It incited a state of melancholy, trapping the cynic, who suffers an “utterly debilitating sense of disappointment, the root cause of which it cannot identify or move beyond” (Allen, ch. 7). In numerous ways Neru exhibits a lack of faith in humanity and society. Just the title of the track What a Terrible Era communicates a sense of hopelessness, particularly the line “強いて言うとするなら人類は失敗作だった” (“if I had to say, humanity was a work of failure”). The album’s lyrics repeatedly refer to the negative state of the world; “本日の世界予報向上性低迷後退” (“today’s world forecast: Progress is stagnant and regressing”) (Hey, Rain). SNOBBISM asks “バグ塗れの人類のデバッグはいつ終わる” (“humanity is stained with bugs; when will debugging end?”). Neru repeatedly laments the state of humanity and his disappointment with the world. Further, cynicism is an attitude of scorn towards “sincerity and integrity”, which are viewed as “a cover for self-interest” (Allen, ch. 1). In line with this, reflecting the cynic’s embrace of untruthfulness (Gertz, ch. 3), in SNOBBISM Neru states “一生、ブラフを威すがいいさ” (“it’s okay to threaten to bluff through your entire life”). Further, Diken (59) suggests that “capitalism is the age of cynicism”, and the Law-Evading Rock (Neru OFFICIAL, "Law-Evading Rock") music video, illustrated and animated by Ryuusee, exhibits such a critique of capitalism. The video is quite chaotic, designed to appear as a Japanese TV channel. Meme-style characters are superimposed onto photographic backgrounds to depict absurd advertisements and news programmes with flashing and dancing, as the lyrics call for the viewer to escape from reality. The character in this video, Datsu, appears to enter a state of nirvana when Neru’s CD is inserted into him. Here we can see how personas are particularly affectual in Vocaloid music, with fans stating that they relate to Datsu, among other forms of affectation, in comments on his Wikia page (Neru Wikia). Further, CYNICISM frequently calls for the self-identified ‘losers’ to band together, breaking the norms of society. Whatever Whatever Whatever, with its upbeat tune, bright colours, and proclamation of “能天気STYLE” (“Carefree STYLE”) exhibits a strong sense that ‘nothing matters so do whatever’. Let’s Drop Dead’s “僕等はきっとあぶれ者” (“we are surely hooligans”), Law-Evading Rock’s “負け犬になって 吠えろ 吠えろ” (“become a loser, roar, roar”) indicate a sense of knowing that one is ‘useless’ but attempting to take pride in or band together in spite (or indeed, because of this). These lyrics ascribe to a nihilistic notion that nothing matters, but are also a call to arms in a sense – a call for losers to band together for strength, and to act with irreverence. Some encourage the listener to become someone unfit for society (Law-Evading Rock), or to turn back on and break away from morals that are designed to get one into heaven (March of Losers). The music video for SNOBBISM (Neru OFFICIAL, "SNOBBISM"), illustrated and animated by Ryuusee, features Bizu, a demon man wearing a formal suit and top hat. The video has a retro style and is bright but muted with blurry backgrounds, streaking, and graininess. Bizu appears to take on a retro rubber hose animation style, dancing and sometimes hitting objects while calling on the viewer to “make a scene”; to be irreverent and break the norms of society. Personal Failure CYNICISM also in numerous ways refers to personal failures and a lack of faith in the future. Some lyrics refer to a plan or manual (SNOBBISM, Song of Running Away), or a future being wrecked or torn (Spare Me My Inferiority, What a Terrible Era). Corresponding with the nihilistic tone of the album, Whatever Whatever Whatever describes being lazy today, and putting effort in tomorrow, while Let’s Drop Dead simply states “明日はくたばろうぜ” (“tomorrow let’s drop dead”). Yet continuing forward into the future seems mandatory, as in Whatever Whatever Whatever Neru describes himself as being too much of a wimp to commit suicide, and March of Losers repeats the refrain “進め進め” (“forward, forward”), calling for the losers to continue even though “this kind of life has no meaning”. Some tracks indicate a more raw or vulnerable state, with Nihil and the Sunken City’s “もっとちょーだい ちょーだい 承認をちょーだい” (“more, give it to me, give it to me, please give me approval”). Importantly, Neru identifies himself as a loser, engaging in self-irreverence, making fun of himself (Kroth 104), referring to himself and his social group as ‘losers’. The music videos for Whatever Whatever Whatever (Neru OFFICIAL, "Whatever Whatever Whatever") and Let’s Drop Dead (Neru OFFICIAL, "Let’s Drop Dead"), illustrated and animated by Terada Tera, exhibit self-irreverent themes. The former uses vapourwave aesthetics, and both exhibit bright colours, with cartoonish characters I and Yaya dancing and drinking alcohol. I wears a Space Invaders jacket and grill glasses, while Yaya wears a t-shirt featuring a marijuana leaf and a pink animal-eared beanie; together in the video they communicate a ‘slacker’, partying attitude. What is particularly interesting here is the way that nihilistic lyrics have been employed alongside upbeat, catchy, pop-style music and flashy colours. Such dissonance is attention-grabbing and also reflects a sarcastic, careless sense of cynicism, one that is “irreverent” and “playful” – a style that Nietzsche adopted (Allen, ch. 7). Relatedly, Marmysz (4) suggests that humour is a useful response to nihilism because it shatters expectations. It is important to understand CYNICISM within the Japanese context. Discussing the Meiji Period, Nishitani (175) points out that Buddhism and Confucianism lost their power, and that with modernisation Japan became Europeanised and Americanised to the extent that there is a spiritual void. More recently, various economic crises and disasters throughout the 1990s and 2000s have contributed to national trauma (Roquet 89). Due to significant societal pressure, many Japanese people feel anxiety, sensitivity, vulnerability, and alienation (Ren 29). Accordingly, much Japanese anime engages with feelings of nihilism (Lozano-Méndez and Loriguillo-López; Tsang). In some respects Vocaloid culture is interrelated with hikikomori, a form of social withdrawal associated with various psychological, social, and behavioural factors (Li and Wong 603). Much academic literature exists on hikikomori, which in many ways is a Japanese phenomenon, being influenced by “culture, society and history”, and having come about in Japan during a period of “very rapid socioeconomic changes” (Kato et al. 1062). Many Vocaloid producers and utaite identify as hikikomori, including Mafumafu. However, studies on hikikomori outside Japan have shown that feelings of isolation, anxiety, and social exclusion are a global concern (Krieg and Dickie 61; Kato et al. 1062), contributing to Neru’s popularity among English-speaking audiences Conclusion My goal in this article is to point out that a significant number of people find Vocaloid music relatable and affectual, and it would be hasty to dismiss such music as “depthless” due to its use of voicebanks and connection to consumer culture. Vocaloid music is particularly affective in part due to the way that Vocaloids, producers, and utaite make use of personas which function as bodies without organs: something that listeners are able to project their own feelings onto. Further, Small’s concept of musicking encourages us to pay attention to what producers are saying as well as what listeners and fans are engaging with: what values are being explored and how they are being used for self-definition. It is important to consider not just the economic aspects of participatory culture and the networks of production surrounding Vocaloid, but the content of the music and the meanings that listeners get out of it. Neru’s CYNICISM album is particularly interesting in this regard. The combination of upbeat music, bright and garish imagery, and nihilistic lyrics communicates a strong sense of disappointment with society and a lack of self-worth in a dissonant manner – there is a sense of playfulness that is attention-grabbing and uses humour to communicate these negative themes. Given the breadth of Vocaloid content that is produced, further research into other producers, fan groups, and pieces of media will provide insight into this varied and rich phenomenon. References Allen, Ansgar. Cynicism. Cambridge: MIT P, 2020. Annett, Sandra. "What Can a Vocaloid Do? The Kyara as Body without Organs." Mechademia 10 (2017): 163–77. Bell, Sarah A. "The dB in the .Db: Vocaloid Software as Posthuman Instrument." Popular Music and Society 39.2 (2016): 222–240. Deleuze, Gilles, and Félix Guattari. A Thousand Plateaus. Trans. Brian Massumi. 11th ed. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2005. ———. Anti-Oedipus. Trans. Robert Hurley et al. 10th ed. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 2000. Diken, Bulent. Nihilism. London: Routledge, 2009. Gertz, Nolen. Nihilism. Cambridge: MIT P, 2019. Hamasaki, Masahiro, et al. "Network Analysis of Massively Collaborative Creation of Multimedia Contents – Case Study of Hatsune Miku Videos on Nico Nico Douga." Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Designing Interactive User Experiences for TV and Video (UXTV '08). New York: Association for Computing Machinery, 2008. 165–168. Hatsune Miku Wiki. Page List [ページ一覧]. 15 Mar. 2024 <https://w.atwiki.jp/hmiku/list>. Jensen, Casper Bruun, and Anders Blok. "Techno-Animism in Japan: Shinto Cosmograms, Actor-Network Theory, and the Enabling Powers of Non-Human Agencies." Theory, Culture & Society 30.2 (2013): 84–115. Jørgensen, Stina Marie Hasse, et al. "Hatsune Miku: An Uncertain Image." Digital Creativity 28.4 (2017): 318–331. Karatetsu. 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NBC Universal Japan, 2018. 15 Mar. 2024 <http://nbcuni-music.com/neru/cynicism/detail/index.html>. ———. "Neru". Nico Nico Douga, 15 Mar. 2024 <https://www.nicovideo.jp/user/112798/>. ———. "Neru OFFICIAL". YouTube, 15 Mar. 2024 <https://www.youtube.com/user/NeruSleepOfficial>. ———. "Neru_Official". BiliBili, 15 Mar. 2024 <https://space.bilibili.com/243955530/>. Neru OFFICIAL. "Neru - Law-Evading Rock (脱法ロック) Feat. Kagamine Len." YouTube, 19 June 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5mHVUwDf_0>. ———. "Neru - Let’s Drop Dead Feat. Kagamine Rin & Kagamine Len." YouTube, 29 Dec. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJirzFqSp-A>. ———. "Neru & z’5 - SNOBBISM Feat. Kagamine Rin & Kagamine Len." YouTube, 21 Mar. 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5jDVFmEIVQ>. ———. "Neru & z’5 - Whatever Whatever Whatever (I~ya I~ya I~ya) Feat. Kagamine Rin & Kagamine Len." YouTube, 10 Nov. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8-6QPEes1k>. Niconico. 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This article investigates the prosthesis of identity through the process of branding. It examines cross-cultural manifestations of this phenomena from sixth millennium BCE Syria to twelfth century Japan and Britain. From the Neolithic Era, humanity has sort to extend their identities using pictorial signs that were characteristically simple. Designed to be distinctive and instantly recognisable, the totemic symbols served to signal the origin of the bearer. Subsequently, the development of branding coincided with periods of increased in mobility both in respect to geography and social strata. This includes fifth millennium Mesopotamia, nineteenth century Britain, and America during the 1920s.There are fewer articles of greater influence on contemporary culture than A Theory of Human Motivation written by Abraham Maslow in 1943. Nearly seventy-five years later, his theories about the societal need for “belongingness” and “esteem” remain a mainstay of advertising campaigns (Maslow). Although the principles are used to sell a broad range of products from shampoo to breakfast cereal they are epitomised by apparel. This is with refence to garments and accessories bearing corporation logos. Whereas other purchased items, imbued with abstract products, are intended for personal consumption the public display of these symbols may be interpreted as a form of signalling. The intention of the wearers is to literally seek the fulfilment of the aforementioned social needs. This article investigates the use of brands as prosthesis.Coats and Crests: Identity Garnered on Garments in the Middle Ages and the Muromachi PeriodA logo, at its most basic, is a pictorial sign. In his essay, The Visual Language, Ernest Gombrich described the principle as reducing images to “distinctive features” (Gombrich 46). They represent a “simplification of code,” the meaning of which we are conditioned to recognise (Gombrich 46). Logos may also be interpreted as a manifestation of totemism. According to anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, the principle exists in all civilisations and reflects an effort to evoke the power of nature (71-127). Totemism is also a method of population distribution (Levi-Strauss 166).This principle, in a form garnered on garments, is manifested in Mon Kiri. The practice of cutting out family crests evolved into a form of corporate branding in Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912) (Christensen 14). During the Muromachi period (1336-1573) the crests provided an integral means of identification on the battlefield (Christensen 13). The adorning of crests on armour was also exercised in Europe during the twelfth century, when the faces of knights were similarly obscured by helmets (Family Crests of Japan 8). Both Mon Kiri and “Coat[s] of Arms” utilised totemic symbols (Family Crests of Japan 8; Elven 14; Christensen 13). The mon for the imperial family (figs. 1 & 2) during the Muromachi Period featured chrysanthemum and paulownia flowers (Goin’ Japaneque). “Coat[s] of Arms” in Britain featured a menagerie of animals including lions (fig. 3), horses and eagles (Elven).The prothesis of identity through garnering symbols on the battlefield provided “safety” through demonstrating “belongingness”. This constituted a conflation of two separate “needs” in the “hierarchy of prepotency” propositioned by Maslow. Fig. 1. The mon symbolising the Imperial Family during the Muromachi Period featured chrysanthemum and paulownia. "Kamon (Japanese Family Crests): Ancient Key to Samurai Culture." Goin' Japaneque! 15 Nov. 2015. 27 July 2019 <http://goinjapanesque.com/05983/>.Fig. 2. An example of the crest being utilised on a garment can be found in this portrait of samurai Oda Nobunaga. "Japan's 12 Most Famous Samurai." All About Japan. 27 Aug. 2018. 27 July 2019 <https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/5818/>.Fig. 3. A detail from the “Index of Subjects of Crests.” Elven, John Peter. The Book of Family Crests: Comprising Nearly Every Family Bearing, Properly Blazoned and Explained, Accompanied by Upwards of Four Thousand Engravings. Henry Washbourne, 1847.The Pursuit of Prestige: Prosthetic Pedigree from the Late Georgian to the Victorian Eras In 1817, the seal engraver to Prince Regent, Alexander Deuchar, described the function of family crests in British Crests: Containing The Crest and Mottos of The Families of Great Britain and Ireland; Together with Those of The Principal Cities and Heraldic Terms as follows: The first approach to civilization is the distinction of ranks. So necessary is this to the welfare and existence of society, that, without it, anarchy and confusion must prevail… In an early stage, heraldic emblems were characteristic of the bearer… Certain ordinances were made, regulating the mode of bearing arms, and who were entitled to bear them. (i-v)The partitioning of social classes in Britain had deteriorated by the time this compendium was published, with displays of “conspicuous consumption” displacing “heraldic emblems” as a primary method of status signalling (Deuchar 2; Han et al. 18). A consumerism born of newfound affluence, and the desire to signify this wealth through luxury goods, was as integral to the Industrial Revolution as technological development. In Rebels against the Future, published in 1996, Kirkpatrick Sale described the phenomenon:A substantial part of the new population, though still a distinct minority, was made modestly affluent, in some places quite wealthy, by privatization of of the countryside and the industrialization of the cities, and by the sorts of commercial and other services that this called forth. The new money stimulated the consumer demand… that allowed a market economy of a scope not known before. (40)This also reflected improvements in the provision of “health, food [and] education” (Maslow; Snow 25-28). With their “physiological needs” accommodated, this ”substantial part” of the population were able to prioritised their “esteem needs” including the pursuit for prestige (Sale 40; Maslow).In Britain during the Middle Ages laws “specified in minute detail” what each class was permitted to wear (Han et al. 15). A groom, for example, was not able to wear clothing that exceeded two marks in value (Han et al. 15). In a distinct departure during the Industrial Era, it was common for the “middling and lower classes” to “ape” the “fashionable vices of their superiors” (Sale 41). Although mon-like labels that were “simplified so as to be conspicuous and instantly recognisable” emerged in Europe during the nineteenth century their application on garments remained discrete up until the early twentieth century (Christensen 13-14; Moore and Reid 24). During the 1920s, the French companies Hermes and Coco Chanel were amongst the clothing manufacturers to pioneer this principle (Chaney; Icon).During the 1860s, Lincolnshire-born Charles Frederick Worth affixed gold stamped labels to the insides of his garments (Polan et al. 9; Press). Operating from Paris, the innovation was consistent with the introduction of trademark laws in France in 1857 (Lopes et al.). He would become known as the “Father of Haute Couture”, creating dresses for royalty and celebrities including Empress Eugene from Constantinople, French actress Sarah Bernhardt and Australian Opera Singer Nellie Melba (Lopes et al.; Krick). The clothing labels proved and ineffective deterrent to counterfeit, and by the 1890s the House of Worth implemented other measures to authenticate their products (Press). The legitimisation of the origin of a product is, arguably, the primary function of branding. This principle is also applicable to subjects. The prothesis of brands, as totemic symbols, assisted consumers to relocate themselves within a new system of population distribution (Levi-Strauss 166). It was one born of commerce as opposed to heraldry.Selling of Self: Conferring Identity from the Neolithic to Modern ErasIn his 1817 compendium on family crests, Deuchar elaborated on heraldry by writing:Ignoble birth was considered as a stain almost indelible… Illustrious parentage, on the other hand, constituted the very basis of honour: it communicated peculiar rights and privileges, to which the meaner born man might not aspire. (v-vi)The Twinings Logo (fig. 4) has remained unchanged since the design was commissioned by the grandson of the company founder Richard Twining in 1787 (Twining). In addition to reflecting the heritage of the family-owned company, the brand indicated the origin of the tea. This became pertinent during the nineteenth century. Plantations began to operate from Assam to Ceylon (Jones 267-269). Amidst the rampant diversification of tea sources in the Victorian era, concerns about the “unhygienic practices” of Chinese producers were proliferated (Wengrow 11). Subsequently, the brand also offered consumers assurance in quality. Fig. 4. The Twinings Logo reproduced from "History of Twinings." Twinings. 24 July 2019 <https://www.twinings.co.uk/about-twinings/history-of-twinings>.The term ‘brand’, adapted from the Norse “brandr”, was introduced into the English language during the sixteenth century (Starcevic 179). At its most literal, it translates as to “burn down” (Starcevic 179). Using hot elements to singe markings onto animals been recorded as early as 2700 BCE in Egypt (Starcevic 182). However, archaeologists concur that the modern principle of branding predates this practice. The implementation of carved seals or stamps to make indelible impressions of handcrafted objects dates back to Prehistoric Mesopotamia (Starcevic 183; Wengrow 13). Similar traditions developed during the Bronze Age in both China and the Indus Valley (Starcevic 185). In all three civilisations branding facilitated both commerce and aspects of Totemism. In the sixth millennium BCE in “Prehistoric” Mesopotamia, referred to as the Halaf period, stone seals were carved to emulate organic form such as animal teeth (Wengrow 13-14). They were used to safeguard objects by “confer[ring] part of the bearer’s personality” (Wengrow 14). They were concurrently applied to secure the contents of vessels containing “exotic goods” used in transactions (Wengrow 15). Worn as amulets (figs. 5 & 6) the seals, and the symbols they produced, were a physical extension of their owners (Wengrow 14).Fig. 5. Recreation of stamp seal amulets from Neolithic Mesopotamia during the sixth millennium BCE. Wengrow, David. "Prehistories of Commodity Branding." Current Anthropology 49.1 (2008): 14.Fig. 6. “Lot 25Y: Rare Syrian Steatite Amulet – Fertility God 5000 BCE.” The Salesroom. 27 July 2019 <https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/artemis-gallery-ancient-art/catalogue-id-srartem10006/lot-a850d229-a303-4bae-b68c-a6130005c48a>. Fig. 7. Recreation of stamp seal designs from Mesopotamia from the late fifth to fourth millennium BCE. Wengrow, David. "Prehistories of Commodity Branding." Current Anthropology 49. 1 (2008): 16.In the following millennia, the seals would increase exponentially in application and aesthetic complexity (fig. 7) to support the development of household cum cottage industries (Wengrow 15). In addition to handcrafts, sealed vessels would transport consumables such as wine, aromatic oils and animal fats (Wengrow 18). The illustrations on the seals included depictions of rituals undertaken by human figures and/or allegories using animals. It can be ascertained that the transition in the Victorian Era from heraldry to commerce, from family to corporation, had precedence. By extension, consumers were able to participate in this process of value attribution using brands as signifiers. The principle remained prevalent during the modern and post-modern eras and can be respectively interpreted using structuralist and post-structuralist theory.Totemism to Simulacrum: The Evolution of Advertising from the Modern to Post-Modern Eras In 2011, Lisa Chaney wrote of the inception of the Coco Chanel logo (fig. 8) in her biography Chanel: An Intimate Life: A crucial element in the signature design of the Chanel No.5 bottle is the small black ‘C’ within a black circle set as the seal at the neck. On the top of the lid are two more ‘C’s, intertwined back to back… from at least 1924, the No5 bottles sported the unmistakable logo… these two ‘C’s referred to Gabrielle, – in other words Coco Chanel herself, and would become the logo for the House of Chanel. Chaney continued by describing Chanel’s fascination of totemic symbols as expressed through her use of tarot cards. She also “surrounded herself with objects ripe with meaning” such as representations of wheat and lions in reference prosperity and to her zodiac symbol ‘Leo’ respectively. Fig. 8. No5 Chanel Perfume, released in 1924, featured a seal-like logo attached to the bottle neck. “No5.” Chanel. 25 July 2019 <https://www.chanel.com/us/fragrance/p/120450/n5-parfum-grand-extrait/>.Fig. 9. This illustration of the bottle by Georges Goursat was published in a women’s magazine circa 1920s. “1921 Chanel No5.” Inside Chanel. 26 July 2019 <http://inside.chanel.com/en/timeline/1921_no5>; “La 4éme Fête de l’Histoire Samedi 16 et dimache 17 juin.” Ville de Perigueux. Musée d’art et d’archéologie du Périgord. 28 Mar. 2018. 26 July 2019 <https://www.perigueux-maap.fr/category/archives/page/5/>. This product was considered the “financial basis” of the Chanel “empire” which emerged during the second and third decades of the twentieth century (Tikkanen). Chanel is credited for revolutionising Haute Couture by introducing chic modern designs that emphasised “simplicity and comfort.” This was as opposed to the corseted highly embellished fashion that characterised the Victorian Era (Tikkanen). The lavish designs released by the House of Worth were, in and of themselves, “conspicuous” displays of “consumption” (Veblen 17). In contrast, the prestige and status associated with the “poor girl” look introduced by Chanel was invested in the story of the designer (Tikkanen). A primary example is her marinière or sailor’s blouse with a Breton stripe that epitomised her ascension from café singer to couturier (Tikkanen; Burstein 8). This signifier might have gone unobserved by less discerning consumers of fashion if it were not for branding. Not unlike the Prehistoric Mesopotamians, this iteration of branding is a process which “confer[s]” the “personality” of the designer into the garment (Wengrow 13 -14). The wearer of the garment is, in turn, is imbued by extension. Advertisers in the post-structuralist era embraced Levi-Strauss’s structuralist anthropological theories (Williamson 50). This is with particular reference to “bricolage” or the “preconditioning” of totemic symbols (Williamson 173; Pool 50). Subsequently, advertising creatives cum “bricoleur” employed his principles to imbue the brands with symbolic power. This symbolic capital was, arguably, transferable to the product and, ultimately, to its consumer (Williamson 173).Post-structuralist and semiotician Jean Baudrillard “exhaustively” critiqued brands and the advertising, or simulacrum, that embellished them between the late 1960s and early 1980s (Wengrow 10-11). In Simulacra and Simulation he wrote,it is the reflection of a profound reality; it masks and denatures a profound reality; it masks the absence of a profound reality; it has no relation to any reality whatsoever: it is its own pure simulacrum. (6)The symbolic power of the Chanel brand resonates in the ‘profound reality’ of her story. It is efficiently ‘denatured’ through becoming simplified, conspicuous and instantly recognisable. It is, as a logo, physically juxtaposed as simulacra onto apparel. This simulacrum, in turn, effects the ‘profound reality’ of the consumer. In 1899, economist Thorstein Veblen wrote in The Theory of the Leisure Class:Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods it the means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure… costly entertainments, such as potlatch or the ball, are peculiarly adapted to serve this end… he consumes vicariously for his host at the same time that he is witness to the consumption… he is also made to witness his host’s facility in etiquette. (47)Therefore, according to Veblen, it was the witnessing of “wasteful” consumption that “confers status” as opposed the primary conspicuous act (Han et al. 18). Despite television being in its experimental infancy advertising was at “the height of its powers” during the 1920s (Clark et al. 18; Hill 30). Post-World War I consumers, in America, experienced an unaccustomed level of prosperity and were unsuspecting of the motives of the newly formed advertising agencies (Clark et al. 18). Subsequently, the ‘witnessing’ of consumption could be constructed across a plethora of media from the newly emerged commercial radio to billboards (Hill viii–25). The resulting ‘status’ was ‘conferred’ onto brand logos. Women’s magazines, with a legacy dating back to 1828, were a primary locus (Hill 10).Belonging in a Post-Structuralist WorldIt is significant to note that, in a post-structuralist world, consumers do not exclusively seek upward mobility in their selection of brands. The establishment of counter-culture icon Levi-Strauss and Co. was concurrent to the emergence of both The House of Worth and Coco Chanel. The Bavarian-born Levi Strauss commenced selling apparel in San Francisco in 1853 (Levi’s). Two decades later, in partnership with Nevada born tailor Jacob Davis, he patented the “riveted-for-strength” workwear using blue denim (Levi’s). Although the ontology of ‘jeans’ is contested, references to “Jene Fustyan” date back the sixteenth century (Snyder 139). It involved the combining cotton, wool and linen to create “vestments” for Geonese sailors (Snyder 138). The Two Horse Logo (fig. 10), depicting them unable to pull apart a pair of jeans to symbolise strength, has been in continuous use by Levi Strauss & Co. company since its design in 1886 (Levi’s). Fig. 10. The Two Horse Logo by Levi Strauss & Co. has been in continuous use since 1886. Staff Unzipped. "Two Horses. One Message." Heritage. Levi Strauss & Co. 1 July 2011. 25 July 2019 <https://www.levistrauss.com/2011/07/01/two-horses-many-versions-one-message/>.The “rugged wear” would become the favoured apparel amongst miners at American Gold Rush (Muthu 6). Subsequently, between the 1930s – 1960s Hollywood films cultivated jeans as a symbol of “defiance” from Stage Coach staring John Wayne in 1939 to Rebel without A Cause staring James Dean in 1955 (Muthu 6; Edgar). Consequently, during the 1960s college students protesting in America (fig. 11) against the draft chose the attire to symbolise their solidarity with the working class (Hedarty). Notwithstanding a 1990s fashion revision of denim into a diversity of garments ranging from jackets to skirts, jeans have remained a wardrobe mainstay for the past half century (Hedarty; Muthu 10). Fig. 11. Although the brand label is not visible, jeans as initially introduced to the American Goldfields in the nineteenth century by Levi Strauss & Co. were cultivated as a symbol of defiance from the 1930s – 1960s. It documents an anti-war protest that occurred at the Pentagon in 1967. Cox, Savannah. "The Anti-Vietnam War Movement." ATI. 14 Dec. 2016. 16 July 2019 <https://allthatsinteresting.com/vietnam-war-protests#7>.In 2003, the journal Science published an article “Does Rejection Hurt? An Fmri Study of Social Exclusion” (Eisenberger et al.). The cross-institutional study demonstrated that the neurological reaction to rejection is indistinguishable to physical pain. Whereas during the 1940s Maslow classified the desire for “belonging” as secondary to “physiological needs,” early twenty-first century psychologists would suggest “[social] acceptance is a mechanism for survival” (Weir 50). In Simulacra and Simulation, Jean Baudrillard wrote: Today abstraction is no longer that of the map, the double, the mirror or the concept. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal… (1)In the intervening thirty-eight years since this document was published the artifice of our interactions has increased exponentially. In order to locate ‘belongness’ in this hyperreality, the identities of the seekers require a level of encoding. Brands, as signifiers, provide a vehicle.Whereas in Prehistoric Mesopotamia carved seals, worn as amulets, were used to extend the identity of a person, in post-digital China WeChat QR codes (fig. 12), stored in mobile phones, are used to facilitate transactions from exchanging contact details to commerce. Like other totems, they provide access to information such as locations, preferences, beliefs, marital status and financial circumstances. These individualised brands are the most recent incarnation of a technology that has developed over the past eight thousand years. The intermediary iteration, emblems affixed to garments, has remained prevalent since the twelfth century. Their continued salience is due to their visibility and, subsequent, accessibility as signifiers. Fig. 12. It may be posited that Wechat QR codes are a form individualised branding. Like other totems, they store information pertaining to the owner’s location, beliefs, preferences, marital status and financial circumstances. “Join Wechat groups using QR code on 2019.” Techwebsites. 26 July 2019 <https://techwebsites.net/join-wechat-group-qr-code/>.Fig. 13. Brands function effectively as signifiers is due to the international distribution of multinational corporations. This is the shopfront of Chanel in Dubai, which offers customers apparel bearing consistent insignia as the Parisian outlet at on Rue Cambon. Customers of Chanel can signify to each other with the confidence that their products will be recognised. “Chanel.” The Dubai Mall. 26 July 2019 <https://thedubaimall.com/en/shop/chanel>.Navigating a post-structuralist world of increasing mobility necessitates a rudimental understanding of these symbols. Whereas in the nineteenth century status was conveyed through consumption and witnessing consumption, from the twentieth century onwards the garnering of brands made this transaction immediate (Veblen 47; Han et al. 18). The bricolage of the brands is constructed by bricoleurs working in any number of contemporary creative fields such as advertising, filmmaking or song writing. They provide a system by which individuals can convey and recognise identities at prima facie. They enable the prosthesis of identity.ReferencesBaudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Trans. Sheila Faria Glaser. United States: University of Michigan Press, 1994.Burstein, Jessica. Cold Modernism: Literature, Fashion, Art. United States: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012.Chaney, Lisa. Chanel: An Intimate Life. United Kingdom: Penguin Books Limited, 2011.Christensen, J.A. Cut-Art: An Introduction to Chung-Hua and Kiri-E. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1989. Clark, Eddie M., Timothy C. Brock, David E. Stewart, David W. Stewart. Attention, Attitude, and Affect in Response to Advertising. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis Group, 1994.Deuchar, Alexander. British Crests: Containing the Crests and Mottos of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland Together with Those of the Principal Cities – Primary So. London: Kirkwood & Sons, 1817.Ebert, Robert. “Great Movie: Stage Coach.” Robert Ebert.com. 1 Aug. 2011. 10 Mar. 2019 <https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-stagecoach-1939>.Elven, John Peter. The Book of Family Crests: Comprising Nearly Every Family Bearing, Properly Blazoned and Explained, Accompanied by Upwards of Four Thousand Engravings. London: Henry Washbourne, 1847.Eisenberger, Naomi I., Matthew D. Lieberman, and Kipling D. Williams. "Does Rejection Hurt? An Fmri Study of Social Exclusion." Science 302.5643 (2003): 290-92.Family Crests of Japan. California: Stone Bridge Press, 2007.Gombrich, Ernst. "The Visual Image: Its Place in Communication." Scientific American 272 (1972): 82-96.Hedarty, Stephanie. "How Jeans Conquered the World." BBC World Service. 28 Feb. 2012. 26 July 2019 <https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17101768>. Han, Young Jee, Joseph C. Nunes, and Xavier Drèze. "Signaling Status with Luxury Goods: The Role of Brand Prominence." Journal of Marketing 74.4 (2010): 15-30.Hill, Daniel Delis. Advertising to the American Woman, 1900-1999. United States of Ame: Ohio State University Press, 2002."History of Twinings." Twinings. 24 July 2019 <https://www.twinings.co.uk/about-twinings/history-of-twinings>. icon-icon: Telling You More about Icons. 18 Dec. 2016. 26 July 2019 <http://www.icon-icon.com/en/hermes-logo-the-horse-drawn-carriage/>. Jones, Geoffrey. Merchants to Multinationals: British Trading Companies in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002.Kamon (Japanese Family Crests): Ancient Key to Samurai Culture." Goin' Japaneque! 15 Nov. 2015. 27 July 2019 <http://goinjapanesque.com/05983/>. Krick, Jessa. "Charles Frederick Worth (1825-1895) and the House of Worth." Heilburnn Timeline of Art History. The Met. Oct. 2004. 23 July 2019 <https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wrth/hd_wrth.htm>. Levi’s. "About Levis Strauss & Co." 25 July 2019 <https://www.levis.com.au/about-us.html>. Lévi-Strauss, Claude. Totemism. London: Penguin, 1969.Lopes, Teresa de Silva, and Paul Duguid. Trademarks, Brands, and Competitiveness. Abingdon: Routledge, 2010.Maslow, Abraham. "A Theory of Human Motivation." British Journal of Psychiatry 208.4 (1942): 313-13.Moore, Karl, and Susan Reid. "The Birth of Brand: 4000 Years of Branding History." Business History 4.4 (2008).Muthu, Subramanian Senthikannan. Sustainability in Denim. Cambridge Woodhead Publishing, 2017.Polan, Brenda, and Roger Tredre. The Great Fashion Designers. Oxford: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009.Pool, Roger C. Introduction. Totemism. New ed. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1969.Press, Claire. Wardrobe Crisis: How We Went from Sunday Best to Fast Fashion. Melbourne: Schwartz Publishing, 2016.Sale, K. Rebels against the Future: The Luddites and Their War on the Industrial Revolution: Lessons for the Computer Age. Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley, 1996.Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959. Snyder, Rachel Louise. Fugitive Denim: A Moving Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of Global Trade. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008.Starcevic, Sladjana. "The Origin and Historical Development of Branding and Advertising in the Old Civilizations of Africa, Asia and Europe." Marketing 46.3 (2015): 179-96.Tikkanen, Amy. "Coco Chanel." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 19 Apr. 2019. 25 July 2019 <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Coco-Chanel>.Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study in the Evolution of Institutions. London: Macmillan, 1975.Weir, Kirsten. "The Pain of Social Rejection." American Psychological Association 43.4 (2012): 50.Williamson, Judith. Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising. Ideas in Progress. London: Boyars, 1978.

In the contemporary era, media spectacle organizes and mobilizes economic life, political conflict, social interactions, culture, and everyday life. My recently published book Media Spectacle explores a profusion of developments in hi-tech culture, media-driven society, and spectacle politics. Spectacle culture involves everything from film and broadcasting to Internet cyberculture and encompasses phenomena ranging from elections to terrorism and to the media dramas of the moment. For ‘Logo’, I am accordingly sketching out briefly a terrain I probe in detail in the book from which these examples are taken.1 During the past decades, every form of culture and significant forms of social life have become permeated by the logic of the spectacle. Movies are bigger and more spectacular than ever, with high-tech special effects expanding the range of cinematic spectacle. Television channels proliferate endlessly with all-day movies, news, sports, specialty niches, re-runs of the history of television, and whatever else can gain an audience. The rock spectacle reverberates through radio, television, CDs, computers networks, and extravagant concerts. The Internet encircles the world in the spectacle of an interactive and multimedia cyberculture. Media culture excels in creating megaspectacles of sports championships, political conflicts, entertainment, "breaking news" and media events, such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the Death of Princess Diana, or the sex or murder scandal of the moment. Megaspectacle comes as well to dominate party politics, as the political battles of the day, such as the Clinton sex scandals and impeachment, the 36 Day Battle for the White House after Election 2000, and the September 11 terrorist attacks and subsequent Terror War. These dramatic media passion plays define the politics of the time, and attract mass audiences to their programming, hour after hour, day after day. The concept of "spectacle" derives from French Situationist theorist Guy Debord's 1972 book Society of the Spectacle. "Spectacle," in Debord's terms, "unifies and explains a great diversity of apparent phenomena" (Debord 1970: #10). In one sense, it refers to a media and consumer society, organized around the consumption of images, commodities, and spectacles. Spectacles are those phenomena of media culture which embody contemporary society's basic values, and dreams and nightmares, putting on display dominant hopes and fears. They serve to enculturate individuals into its way of life, and dramatize its conflicts and modes of conflict resolution. They include sports events, political campaigns and elections, and media extravaganzas like sensational murder trials, or the Bill Clinton sex scandals and impeachment spectacle (1998-1999). As we enter a new millennium, the media are becoming ever more technologically dazzling and are playing an increasingly central role in everyday life. Under the influence of a postmodern image culture, seductive spectacles fascinate the denizens of the media and consumer society and involve them in the semiotics of a new world of entertainment, information, a semiotics of a new world of entertainment, information, and drama, which deeply influence thought and action. For Debord: "When the real world changes into simple images, simple images become real beings and effective motivations of a hypnotic behavior. The spectacle as a tendency to make one see the world by means of various specialized mediations (it can no longer be grasped directly), naturally finds vision to be the privileged human sense which the sense of touch was for other epochs; the most abstract, the most mystifiable sense corresponds to the generalized abstraction of present day society" (#18). Today, however, I would maintain it is the multimedia spectacle of sight, sound, touch, and, coming to you soon, smell that constitutes the multidimensional sense experience of the new interactive spectacle. For Debord, the spectacle is a tool of pacification and depoliticization; it is a "permanent opium war" (#44) which stupefies social subjects and distracts them from the most urgent task of real life -- recovering the full range of their human powers through creative praxis. The concept of the spectacle is integrally connected to the concept of separation and passivity, for in passively consuming spectacles, one is separated from actively producing one's life. Capitalist society separates workers from the products of their labor, art from life, and consumption from human needs and self-directing activity, as individuals passively observe the spectacles of social life from within the privacy of their homes (#25 and #26). The situationist project by contrast involved an overcoming of all forms of separation, in which individuals would directly produce their own life and modes of self-activity and collective practice. Since Debord's theorization of the society of the spectacle in the 1960s and 1970s, spectacle culture has expanded in every area of life. In the culture of the spectacle, commercial enterprises have to be entertaining to prosper and as Michael J. Wolf (1999) argues, in an "entertainment economy," business and fun fuse, so that the E-factor is becoming major aspect of business.2 Via the "entertainmentization" of the economy, television, film, theme parks, video games, casinos, and so forth become major sectors of the national economy. In the U.S., the entertainment industry is now a $480 billion industry, and consumers spend more on having fun than on clothes or health care (Wolf 1999: 4).3 In a competitive business world, the "fun factor" can give one business the edge over another. Hence, corporations seek to be more entertaining in their commercials, their business environment, their commercial spaces, and their web sites. Budweiser ads, for instance, feature talking frogs who tell us nothing about the beer, but who catch the viewers' attention, while Taco Bell deploys a talking dog, and Pepsi uses Star Wars characters. Buying, shopping, and dining out are coded as an "experience," as businesses adopt a theme-park style. Places like the Hard Rock Cafe and the House of Blues are not renowned for their food, after all; people go there for the ambience, to buy clothing, and to view music and media memorabilia. It is no longer good enough just to have a web site, it has to be an interactive spectacle, featuring not only products to buy, but music and videos to download, games to play, prizes to win, travel information, and "links to other cool sites." To succeed in the ultracompetitive global marketplace, corporations need to circulate their image and brand name so business and advertising combine in the promotion of corporations as media spectacles. Endless promotion circulates the McDonald’s Golden Arches, Nike’s Swoosh, or the logos of Apple, Intel, or Microsoft. In the brand wars between commodities, corporations need to make their logos or “trademarks” a familiar signpost in contemporary culture. Corporations place their logos on their products, in ads, in the spaces of everyday life, and in the midst of media spectacles like important sports events, TV shows, movie product placement, and wherever they can catch consumer eyeballs, to impress their brand name on a potential buyer. Consequently, advertising, marketing, public relations and promotion are an essential part of commodity spectacle in the global marketplace. Celebrity too is manufactured and managed in the world of media spectacle. Celebrities are the icons of media culture, the gods and goddesses of everyday life. To become a celebrity requires recognition as a star player in the field of media spectacle, be it sports, entertainment, or politics. Celebrities have their handlers and image managers to make sure that their celebrities continue to be seen and positively perceived by publics. Just as with corporate brand names, celebrities become brands to sell their Madonna, Michael Jordan, Tom Cruise, or Jennifer Lopez product and image. In a media culture, however, celebrities are always prey to scandal and thus must have at their disposal an entire public relations apparatus to manage their spectacle fortunes, to make sure their clients not only maintain high visibility but keep projecting a positive image. Of course, within limits, “bad” and transgressions can also sell and so media spectacle contains celebrity dramas that attract public attention and can even define an entire period, as when the O.J. Simpson murder trials and Bill Clinton sex scandals dominated the media in the mid and late 1990s. Entertainment has always been a prime field of the spectacle, but in today's infotainment society, entertainment and spectacle have entered into the domains of the economy, politics, society, and everyday life in important new ways. Building on the tradition of spectacle, contemporary forms of entertainment from television to the stage are incorporating spectacle culture into their enterprises, transforming film, television, music, drama, and other domains of culture, as well as producing spectacular new forms of culture such as cyberspace, multimedia, and virtual reality. For Neil Gabler, in an era of media spectacle, life itself is becoming like a movie and we create our own lives as a genre like film, or television, in which we become "at once performance artists in and audiences for a grand, ongoing show" (1998: 4). On Gabler’s view, we star in our own "lifies," making our lives into entertainment acted out for audiences of our peers, following the scripts of media culture, adopting its role models and fashion types, its style and look. Seeing our lives in cinematic terms, entertainment becomes for Gabler "arguably the most pervasive, powerful and ineluctable force of our time--a force so overwhelming that it has metastasized into life" to such an extent that it is impossible to distinguish between the two (1998: 9). As Gabler sees it, Ralph Lauren is our fashion expert; Martha Stewart designs our sets; Jane Fonda models our shaping of our bodies; and Oprah Winfrey advises us on our personal problems.4 Media spectacle is indeed a culture of celebrity who provide dominant role models and icons of fashion, look, and personality. In the world of spectacle, celebrity encompasses every major social domain from entertainment to politics to sports to business. An ever-expanding public relations industry hypes certain figures, elevating them to celebrity status, and protects their positive image in the never-ending image wars and dangers that a celebrity will fall prey to the machinations of negative-image and thus lose celebrity status, and/or become figures of scandal and approbation, as will some of the players and institutions that I examine in Media Spectacle (Kellner 2003). Sports has long been a domain of the spectacle with events like the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl, World Soccer Cup, and NBA championships attracting massive audiences, while generating sky-high advertising rates. These cultural rituals celebrate society's deepest values (i.e. competition, winning, success, and money), and corporations are willing to pay top dollar to get their products associated with such events. Indeed, it appears that the logic of the commodity spectacle is inexorably permeating professional sports which can no longer be played without the accompaniment of cheerleaders, giant mascots who clown with players and spectators, and raffles, promotions, and contests that feature the products of various sponsors. Sports stadiums themselves contain electronic reproduction of the action, as well as giant advertisements for various products that rotate for maximum saturation -- previewing environmental advertising in which entire urban sites are becoming scenes to boost consumption spectacles. Arenas, like the United Center in Chicago, America West Arena in Phoenix, on Enron Field in Houston are named after corporate sponsors. Of course, after major corporate scandals or collapse, like the Enron spectacle, the ballparks must be renamed! The Texas Ranger Ballpark in Arlington, Texas supplements its sports arena with a shopping mall, office buildings, and a restaurant in which for a hefty price one can watch the athletic events while eating and drinking.5 The architecture of the Texas Rangers stadium is an example of the implosion of sports and entertainment and postmodern spectacle. A man-made lake surrounds the stadium, the corridor inside is modeled after Chartes Cathedral, and the structure is made of local stone that provides the look of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Inside there are Texas longhorn cattle carvings, panels of Texas and baseball history, and other iconic signifiers of sports and Texas. The merging of sports, entertainment, and local spectacle is now typical in sports palaces. Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, Florida, for instance, "has a three-level mall that includes places where 'fans can get a trim at the barber shop, do their banking and then grab a cold one at the Budweiser brew pub, whose copper kettles rise three stories. There is even a climbing wall for kids and showroom space for car dealerships'" (Ritzer 1998: 229). Film has long been a fertile field of the spectacle, with "Hollywood" connoting a world of glamour, publicity, fashion, and excess. Hollywood film has exhibited grand movie palaces, spectacular openings with searchlights and camera-popping paparazzi, glamorous Oscars, and stylish hi-tech film. While epic spectacle became a dominant genre of Hollywood film from early versions of The Ten Commandments through Cleopatra and 2001 in the 1960s, contemporary film has incorporated the mechanics of spectacle into its form, style, and special effects. Films are hyped into spectacle through advertising and trailers which are ever louder, more glitzy, and razzle-dazzle. Some of the most popular films of the late 1990s were spectacle films, including Titanic, Star Wars -- Phantom Menace, Three Kings, and Austin Powers, a spoof of spectacle, which became one of the most successful films of summer 1999. During Fall 1999, there was a cycle of spectacles, including Topsy Turvy, Titus, Cradle Will Rock, Sleepy Hollow, The Insider, and Magnolia, with the latter featuring the biblical spectacle of the raining of frogs in the San Fernando Valley, in an allegory of the decadence of the entertainment industry and deserved punishment for its excesses. The 2000 Academy Awards were dominated by the spectacle Gladiator, a mediocre film that captured best picture award and best acting award for Russell Crowe, thus demonstrating the extent to which the logic of the spectacle now dominates Hollywood film. Some of the most critically acclaimed and popular films of 2001 are also hi-tech spectacle, such as Moulin Rouge, a film spectacle that itself is a delirious ode to spectacle, from cabaret and the brothel to can-can dancing, opera, musical comedy, dance, theater, popular music, and film. A postmodern pastiche of popular music styles and hits, the film used songs and music ranging from Madonna and the Beatles to Dolly Parton and Kiss. Other 2001 film spectacles include Pearl Harbor, which re-enacts the Japanese attack on the U.S. that propelled the country to enter World War II, and that provided a ready metaphor for the September 11 terror attacks. Major 2001 film spectacles range from David Lynch’s postmodern surrealism in Mulholland Drive to Steven Spielberg’s blending of his typically sentimental spectacle of the family with the formalist rigor of Stanley Kubrick in A.I. And the popular 2001 military film Black-Hawk Down provided a spectacle of American military heroism which some critics believed sugar-coated the actual problems with the U.S. military intervention in Somalia, causing worries that a future U.S. adventure by the Bush administration and Pentagon would meet similar problems. There were reports, however, that in Somalian cinemas there were loud cheers as the Somalians in the film shot down the U.S. helicopter, and pursued and killed American soldiers, attesting to growing anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world against Bush administration policies. Television has been from its introduction in the 1940s a promoter of consumption spectacle, selling cars, fashion, home appliances, and other commodities along with consumer life-styles and values. It is also the home of sports spectacle like the Super Bowl or World Series, political spectacles like elections (or more recently, scandals), entertainment spectacle like the Oscars or Grammies, and its own spectacles like breaking news or special events. Following the logic of spectacle entertainment, contemporary television exhibits more hi-tech glitter, faster and glitzier editing, computer simulations, and with cable and satellite television, a fantastic array of every conceivable type of show and genre. TV is today a medium of spectacular programs like The X-Files or Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and spectacles of everyday life such as MTV's The Real World and Road Rules, or the globally popular Survivor and Big Brother series. Real life events, however, took over TV spectacle in 2000-2001 in, first, an intense battle for the White House in a dead-heat election, that arguably constitutes one of the greatest political crimes and scandals in U.S. history (see Kellner 2001). After months of the Bush administration pushing the most hardright political agenda in memory and then deadlocking as the Democrats took control of the Senate in a dramatic party re-affiliation of Vermont’s Jim Jeffords, the world was treated to the most horrifying spectacle of the new millennium, the September 11 terror attacks and unfolding Terror War that has so far engulfed Afghanistan and Iraq. These events promise an unending series of deadly spectacle for the foreseeable future.6 Hence, we are emerging into a new culture of media spectacle that constitutes a novel configuration of economy, society, politics, and everyday life. It involves new cultural forms, social relations, and modes of experience. It is producing an ever-proliferating and expanding spectacle culture with its proliferating media forms, cultural spaces, and myriad forms of spectacle. It is evident in the U.S. as the new millennium unfolds and may well constitute emergent new forms of global culture. Critical social theory thus faces important challenges in theoretically mapping and analyzing these emergent forms of culture and society and the ways that they may contain novel forms of domination and oppression, as well as potential for democratization and social justice. Works Cited Debord, Guy. Society of the Spectacle. Detroit: Black and Red, 1967. Gabler, Neil. Life the Movie. How Entertainment Conquered Reality. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. Kellner, Douglas. Grand Theft 2000. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2001. Kellner, Douglas. From 9/11 to Terror War: Dangers of the Bush Legacy. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003. Kellner, Douglas. Media Spectacle. London and New York: Routledge, 2003. Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization Thesis: Explorations and Extensions. Thousand Oaks, Cal. and London: Sage, 1998. Wolf, Michael J. Entertainment Economy: How Mega-Media Forces are Transforming Our Lives. New York: Times Books, 1999. Notes 1 See Douglas Kellner, Media Spectacle. London and New York: Routledge, 2003. 2 Wolf's book is a detailed and useful celebration of the "entertainment economy," although he is a shill for the firms and tycoons that he works for and celebrates them in his book. Moreover, while entertainment is certainly an important component of the infotainment economy, it is an exaggeration to say that it drives it and is actually propelling it, as Wolf repeatedly claims. Wolf also downplays the negative aspects of the entertainment economy, such as growing consumer debt and the ups and downs of the infotainment stock market and vicissitudes of the global economy. 3 Another source notes that "the average American household spent $1,813 in 1997 on entertainment -- books, TV, movies, theater, toys -- almost as much as the $1,841 spent on health care per family, according to a survey by the US Labor Department." Moreover, "the price we pay to amuse ourselves has, in some cases, risen at a rate triple that of inflation over the past five years" (USA Today, April 2, 1999: E1). The NPD Group provided a survey that indicated that the amount of time spent on entertainment outside of the home –- such as going to the movies or a sport event – was up 8% from the early to the late 1990s and the amount of time in home entertainment, such as watching television or surfing the Internet, went up 2%. Reports indicate that in a typical American household, people with broadband Internet connections spend 22% more time on all-electronic media and entertainment than the average household without broadband. See “Study: Broadband in homes changes media habits” (PCWORLD.COM, October 11, 2000). 4 Gabler’s book is a synthesis of Daniel Boorstin, Dwight Macdonald, Neil Poster, Marshall McLuhan, and other trendy theorists of media culture, but without the brilliance of a Baudrillard, the incisive criticism of an Adorno, or the understanding of the deeper utopian attraction of media culture of a Bloch or Jameson. Likewise, Gabler does not, a la cultural studies, engage the politics of representation, or its economics and political economy. He thus ignores mergers in the culture industries, new technologies, the restructuring of capitalism, globalization, and shifts in the economy that are driving the impetus toward entertainment. Gabler does get discuss how new technologies are creating new spheres of entertainment and forms of experience and in general describes rather than theorizes the trends he is engaging. 5 The project was designed and sold to the public in part through the efforts of the son of a former President, George W. Bush. Young Bush was bailed out of heavy losses in the Texas oil industry in the 1980s by his father's friends and used his capital gains, gleaned from what some say as illicit insider trading, to purchase part-ownership of a baseball team to keep the wayward son out of trouble and to give him something to do. The soon-to-be Texas governor, and future President of the United States, sold the new stadium to local taxpayers, getting them to agree to a higher sales tax to build the stadium which would then become the property of Bush and his partners. This deal allowed Bush to generate a healthy profit when he sold his interest in the Texas Rangers franchise and to buy his Texas ranch, paid for by Texas tax-payers (for sources on the scandalous life of George W. Bush and his surprising success in politics, see Kellner 2001 and the further discussion of Bush Jr. in Chapter 6). 6 See Douglas Kellner, From 9/11 to Terror War: Dangers of the Bush Legacy. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield Citation reference for this article Substitute your date of access for Dn Month Year etc... MLA Style Kellner, Douglas. "Engaging Media Spectacle " M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture< http://www.media-culture.org.au/0306/09-mediaspectacle.php>. APA Style Kellner, D. (2003, Jun 19). Engaging Media Spectacle . M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, 6,< http://www.media-culture.org.au/0306/09-mediaspectacle.php>