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Examining Tokyo's Media Immersion Pods
the terminal of geoff goodfellow writes "The New York Times has an article on the Bagus Gran Cyber Café in Tokyo, where customers rent so-called media immersion pods. From the article: 'At first glance the spread looks officelike, but be warned: these places are drug dens for Internet addicts outfitted with VHS and DVD players, satellite and regular television on a Toshiba set, PlayStation 2, Lineage II and a Compaq computer loaded with software, all the relevant downloads and hyperspeedy Internet. In the nearby library were thousands of comic books, magazines and novels.'"
The more I immerse myself in this media centered world, the more I find myself recalling the fable of the boy who was given the golden ball of thread. Every time he pulled it, he skipped forward in time. While being warned of its power, he began to make regular use of it. He pulled the thread at the beginning of his classes, and when he had to start studying, or when he got put in time out, or whenever he was bored and wanted to get on with the fun things in life. Before he knew it he was on his death bed having skipped the boring and unpleasant parts of his life. The fairy who gave him the ball of yarn was gracious enough to let him live a second chance...and this time he never wished to skip any parts of his life.
But we don't get a second chance.
I'm finding the more I spend time NOT doing something digital, the more I enjoy my day. Every time I sit down to watch a movie, play a game, or read Slashdot, I look up and realize I've lost two hours. Where did it go? I never can seem to find those extra 90 minutes that I don't remember having spent.
Now I ride my bike for fun, or sit on the couch with my pet and call my mother, or hang out with some friends. I'm finding I have all the time in the world now to enjoy myself, and it's all passing at the speed it should. Forget computers, forget movies, forget entertainment centers: I want to live my own life, not watch someone live theirs.
I think it is better to leave the thread in the box. The fun times wouldn't be fun without the boring ones. Each will come when it comes, and no sooner. Might as well make the most what's inbetween.
I find it hard to believe that Japan's modest lifestyle has led it to be the 4th largest consumer of energy in the world. They used to be the second largest consumer of oil in the world until China came on the scene, which is despite the fact that they import nearly all of their oil - where as the largest oil consumer, America, imports less than half.
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While you are incorrect, and they are, as you can see, huge energy consumers (which seems to be what you're attempting to disprove) that was not really the type of consumption I was referring to with my comments.
When the US rebuilt Japan, the policy makers saw to it that Japan would be a capitalist utopia of sorts where life was predicated around work and consumption. As you may know, making lots of money and spending it on material goods makes you happy. At least, that's what we're led to believe. In Japan you have this disposable culture, as is in America, taken to illogical extremes. These "media immersion pods" are purportedly a way of getting away from the bustle of the city, of careers, and of societal expectations. That's how people get away? That's how they interact? Go on dates even, by totally isolating themselves from reality and consuming in solitude? Yes, that to me, is frightening. It's an incredibly passive existence (though most people live passively) A respite for me means playing my guitar, or piano. Going out and taking some photos. Writing. Learning something I didn't know yesterday.
To me it seems like they don't want to move away from this exposure, but to become totally immersed in it in order to shed their identities. It's like popping pills. They move away from themselves. It's the same reason people shoot heroin. To each his own, I guess. I'm sorry that I find these trends disturbing.
Oh, and please mind the personal attacks. I'm not damning the nation of Japan. I just think this exemplifies problems I've perceived in their culture.
Actually, this thing about not being able to meet other people because their (Japanese people's) houses are so microscopic, is starting to grate. The biggest difference between a Japanese house and an American house (that I've noticed) is a house in the US tends to be noisy, lawless, and untidy. Making it difficult to have people round. A Japanese house (yes probably through necessity) is, in comparison, polite quiet and tidy. And the home made food infinitely more apatising. So the pods being a refuge idea is a US construct I think.
This whole US v Jap thing is tiered. More so than the Germany v England thing here (in the UK). Japan WILL do some things better than/before the US. Live with it.
Because you can - or because you should?
There are a lot of internet cafe's in Japan, big chains being Gera Gera and Popeye Media Cafe. I have tried out a few.
They are actually really good. Keep in mind that a lot of people live in small houses in Japan, so go out a lot to eat and for entertainment because of limited space at home. Also, a lot of people live with their families until their late 20s, sometimes with grandparents too. So, privacy and "getting away from the family" are worth paying for.
For under a fiver (800-900 yen) you can get a private cubicle for three hours. Browse the net, play some games, watch some TV or a DVD. They have libraries of magazines and manga to read too, and free drinks. You can order food too, or get a cubicle where you can lie down on a futon or sit with your girlfriend.
Many even have showers, blankets and pillows available. You could pretty much live there if you wanted to. In fact, many offer discounts on up to 8 hour blocks, or overnight stays.
I know it's hard to imagine the appeal for people in the west, but they are good. And not just frequented by men either, women use them too.
The only issue I had was that they seem to invariably be quite hot, despite air conditioning. The Japanese seem to have a higher tolerance for heat than me - well, I was born in Yorkshire in March so...
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC