44 From Nintendo to Hello Kitty, Chatting About Japanese Pop Culture w. Matt Alt

On this episode of the Japan Station podcast, localizer and author Matt Alt stops by to discuss the influence Japanese pop culture has had on the world.

About Matt Alt

Matt Alt is a localizer of Japanese games and manga. Together with Hiroko Yoda he founded the localization company AltJapan and has authored multiple books on Japanese folklore and history. Matt's latest book was published in June of 2020 by Crown and is titled Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World.Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World.

Topics Discussed

• Localization and how the industry has evolved over the past few decades
• Matt Alt's experience learning Japanese in high school
• How Matt almost got to meet Osamu Tezuka
• Anime in the U.S. in the '70s, '80s, and '90s
• The kawaii aesthetic of Super Mario and other classic video games from Japan
• Visiting Sony's extensive archives
• The popularity and influence of Sanrio's Hello Kitty
• How it was that Matt came to work on his well-known book Yokai Attack!
• The increasing adoption of the term yokai over the past couple decades
• Using one's dissatisfaction with translations as motivation to learn Japanese
• And much more!

Support on Patreon

If you enjoy Japan Station and want to ensure that we're able to produce more episodes, then please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For a minimum pledge of $1 a month you'll get access to extra blog posts and additional input on future content. You'd also receive Tony's eternal, profound, and undrying gratitude.

• Support Japan Station on Patreon

Links, Videos, Etc.

You can purchase Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World via the Amazon affiliate link below.

• Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World by Matt Alt

If you're interested in any of Matt Alt's other books, please consider using the affiliate links below in order to support Japan Station.

• Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide (Yokai ATTACK! Series) by Matt Alt & Hiroko Yoda
• Yurei Attack!: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide (Yokai ATTACK! Series) by Matt Alt & Hiroko Yoda
• Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws (Yokai ATTACK! Series) by Matt Alt & Hiroko Yoda

You can follow Matt Alt on Twitter.

• @Matt_Alt

To learn more about AltJapan, visit their website via the link below.

• AltJapan Website

Here is Matt Alt's Tofugu.com interview article.

• An Interview with Matt Alt: Translation, Localization, and other Nice Japanese Things

To listen to the latest episode of Ichimon Japan, use the link below.

• What’s so scary about the hour of the ox? (About Ushi no Koku Mairi) | Ichimon Japan 21

Special Thanks

Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi)
To listen to more of Yunomi's music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.

Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.

Featured image: Courtesy of Matt Alt

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Full Show Notes

• Get full show notes at www.japanstationpodcast.com