This article examines the diffusion of Japanese television programs in
Hong Kong and China. It demonstrates how dramas designed for the
Japanese younger generation proliferated in the form of pirated video
compact disks (VCDs), without being on the air and without marketing
campaigns. Far from being cultural imperialism pushed from the economic
center, the Chinese people have actively initiated the in-flow of these
dramas. The complex combination of local demand, digital technology and
the Chinese people?s highly developed literacy in regard to Japanese
popular culture made this flow possible. Tokyo was not even participating in
the diffusion when the dramas crossed the border into China. To better
illustrate globalization processes, this article argues that we should not
focus solely on the story of corporate-led cultural flow, but should also
examine its twists and turns from the perspectives of unforeseen consumers
and unauthorized intermediaries. |