Shinji MIYADAI
　　　　　　　　　Tokyo Metropolitan University
　　　　　　　AAS Annual Meeting, March 29, 2009



Two contexts of 1992

1. Subculture-ization of academism and criticism
　　　　・Nonetheless, the faith in the privileged status of academism, criticism
2. Melancholy of the Critique of Postmodernity
　　　　・Dissatisfied with critical discourses similar to Karatani and Asada’s
　　　　Critical Space



What is the subculture-ization of academism and criticism?

● Epilogue to Dismantling the Subculture Myth
　　: the declaration that academism and thoughts are subculture-ized
　　　　・ Anticipated that works and critical texts will be shown to share the
　　　　　　semantics of the age
　　　　・ Asserted that discourses not self-conscious of this “resonance” do
　　　　　　not deserve the names of “criticism” or “thought”
● Dismantling the Subculture Myth
　　: the consistency across different analytical methods as the sole criterion for
　　its authenticity
　　　　・ Assuming that works and critical texts will inevitably “resonate” with
　　　　　　the semantics – but avoiding “indulgence”
　　　　・ Comparing results of four different analytical methods
　　　　　　　- Statistical analysis (multivariable analysis)
　　　　　　　- Fieldwork (participant observation)
　　　　　　　- Historical analysis (analysis of semantics)
　　　　　　　- Systems theory (theory of dynamic equilibrium)



What is the melancholy of the critique of postmodernity?

● Karatani and Asada criticizes postmodernity and attempted a revival of
　　modernity (cf. Karatani, “Criticism and the Postmodern”)
　　　　・ This opinion is a total nonsense in terms of social systems theory
　　　　・ Postmodernity is not a discourse but a social structure (structure of a
　　　　　　system)
● My treatment of postmodernity based on social systems theory
　　　　・ Foucault: “the ‘subject’ or ‘freedom’ in modern society are but
　　　　　　products of the system” (1966)
　　　　　　　- Emergence of this discourse (or popularization of it by
　　　　　　　　　Baudrillard) as the modern/postmodern threshold
　　　　・ There is no difference between the modern / postmodern in that
　　　　　　modern society is bottomless (without grounding) to begin with
　　　　　　　- Therefore, social systems theorists argue that postmodernity is
　　　　　　　　　but a “late period of modernity”
　　　　・ But the semantics of works and critical texts changed drastically
　　　　　　before and after the Foucauldian discourses (the awareness of this
　　　　　　issue)
　　　　　　　- Therefore, literary authors and critics try to grasp
　　　　　　　　　postmodernity as coming “after the end of modernity”



Toward avoiding the melancholic intoxication called “critique of postmodernity”

● Executing Foucauldian strategies consciously
　　　　・ Ever marching forward to “step one’s own shadow” (i.e. to move
　　　　　　forward knowing the impossibility)
● Holding a consistent theoretical method to continue reminding oneself of the
　　　impossibility
　　　　・ For me, social systems theory (Luhmann or German critical theories
　　　　　(the third generation or later))


［以上までは、発表直前の夜中、東くんの報告予定をきいて急遽付け足したものです］
［以下は、会場で配布した長文ドラフトの骨子にあたります］



1996 as the watershed year

● The shift in 1996
　　　　・ The Aum incidents in 1995: before and after
● Before 1995: The age of armageddon (’83-’95) (covert ’83-’95; overt ’90-‘95)
　　　　・ Aum Shinrikyō at the peak
● After 1996: the age of post-armageddon (’96-present)
　　　　・ The ages of the world type (セカイ系 / ’96-present) and the battle
　　　　　　royale type (バトルロワイヤル系 / covert ’97-present; overt ’01-present)
　　　　　　[In fact, two parallel movements]



Toward the age of the homeostasis of the self

● The age of ideals = the age of order (-’60): “order” as the measure for
　　　evaluating reality
　　　　・ From Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere (Empire) to world peace
　　　　・ Men (National; “light-hearted, righteous, strong”) / Women (family; “
　　　　　　pure, righteous, beautiful”)
● The age of dreams = the age of future (’60-’75): “future” as the measure for
　　　evaluating reality
　　　　・ From the affirmation of reality to the negation of reality (protest)
　　　　・ Negativity arising from a retrospective from the future
● The age of fiction = the age of the self (’75-present): “self-maintenance” (the
　　　homeostasis of the self) as the measure for evaluating reality
　　　　・ Bifurcation of the nampa type (ナンパ系) and the otaku type (オタク系)
　　　　・ The nampa type: the fictionalization of reality (dramatization)
　　　　・ The otaku type: the real-ization of fiction (transformation into another
　　　　　　world)
　　　　・ The rise of sexuality (’77-) and the rise of religion (’77-):
　　　　　　comprehensive acceptance (the problematization of self-maintenance)



From the armageddon to the post-armageddon

● Before Aum: the age of armageddon (’83-’95) (covert ’83-’95; overt ’90-‘95)
　　　　・ Intense otaku discrimination
　　　　　　　- Serial murder and rape of young girls (1989) (suspected to be) 　　　
　　　　　　　　　caused by otaku
　　　　　　　- Intense compensated dating boom and the “street” boom
　　　　・ Waiting for armageddon
　　　　　　　- Armageddon for the homeostasis of the self (the original world
　　　　　　　　　type)
　　　　　　　- Tsurumi Wataru: armageddon --> suicide (’93) --> drugs (’96) 　　　
　　　　　　　　　--> dance (rave) (’98) --> ?(database-ization)
　　　　・ The failure of Aum (’95)
　　　　　　　- Armageddon fantasy disgraced
　　　　　　　- Affirmation of not embarking on reality

● After Aum: the age of post-armageddon (’96-)
　　　　・ The world type (’96-)
　　　　　　　- The beginning of the world type: Neon Genesis Evangelion
　　　　　　　　　The world type: short-circuiting the “personal mystery” with “
　　　　　　　　　the mystery of the world”
　　　　　　　- From the “armageddon” (reality of the future) to the “school”
　　　　　　　　　(reality of the past)
　　　　　　　　　Handling not reality but fiction for the homeostasis of the self
　　　　　　　- Fiction and reality are equally registered in “this reality”: “
　　　　　　　　　database consumption” (Azuma)
　　　　　　　　　As a result, “this reality” becomes lighter: transition from the
　　　　　　　　　world to the “world type”
　　　　・ The battle royale type (’98- or ’01-)
　　　　　　　- The beginning of the battle royale type: ’01- for works
　　　　　　　　　’97- for action (from kenkanchū (嫌韓厨, “Korea-hating kids”)
　　　　　　　　　to “den totsu”(電凸))
　　　　　　　- Living reality like a game, with justice and victory as banners
　　　　　　　　　A new type of “fictionalization of reality”; cf. “real-ization of
　　　　　　　　　fiction” for the world type
　　　　　　　- The nampa type (fictionalization of reality) / the otaku type
　　　　　　　　　(real-ization of fiction)
　　　　　　　　--> Within the otaku type, the battle royale type (the
　　　　　　　　　fictionalization of reality) / the world type (the real-ization of
　　　　　　　　　fiction)



The ever-continuing battle royale process

● Ironical immersion (Ōsawa Masachi) / Ironical obsession (Miyadai)
　　　　・ Ironization (relativization through assigning the whole to a part and
　　　　　　the world to a subject) brought about by postmodernization (increase
　　　　　　in reflexivity)
　　　　・ Immersion (obsession) brought about by the homeostasis of the self
● All political processes relativized in the process of battle royale
　　　　・ The difficulty of social designs (the difficulty of the elites): the need to
　　　　　　survive the battle royale
　　　　・ The difficulty because of the bottomlessness of society (the difficulty
　　　　　　　of the people): the need to survive through anxiety and uncertainty
● Dynamic equilibrium in the age of post-armageddon
　　　　・ Fourteen years since the beginning of the world type, ten years since
　　　　　　the beginning of the battle royale type … extremely long (in the past,
　　　　　　five to seven year for each period)
　　　　・ Possibility of the ever-continuing act of “fictionalization of reality” / “
　　　　　　real-ization of fiction” in the state of the equivalence of fiction and
　　　　　　reality