Wie is de Ander? De representatie van Japan in het Nederlandse televisieprogramma Wie is de Mol? (2010)

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Geschreven naar aanleiding van mijn master thesis samen met begeleider Stijn Joye en met Pieter Maeseele, verscheen dit artikel in augustus 2012 in het peer-reviewed Tijdschrift voor Communicatiewetenschap (nr. 3).  Centraal in het artikel staat het bestaan en de representatie van diepgewortelde opvattingen en culturele stereotypen in Westerse cultuurproducten over niet-westerse culturen, in dit geval de economische wereldmacht Japan. Tevens wordt de beeldvorming van Japan in niet-factuele mediaproducten bestudeerd. Deze thematiek kent een lange onderzoekstraditie … Continue reading

“Play I Some Music!”: oldskool Jamaican reggae mix

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The summer slowly, but hopefully surely, draws near in the Netherlands and the (Dutch) music industry is churning out dreadful, utter rubbish as usual. Time for something ‘new’: oldskool roots reggae from the largely unknown Jamaican masters and contemporaries of Robert Nesta Marley. As Bob would say, ‘Play I Some Music!’ Surprisingly often I am asked whether there are any famous reggae artists besides Bob… or if there were any other reggae artists besides Bob … Continue reading

Finally together: paperwork and a new life in the Netherlands

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As promised in a previous blog post: the denouement of a story of paperwork on two sides of the planet and its positive outcome. Payday After applying for a partner visa and after several weeks of waiting, I was contacted by the IND (Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service) with the message that they were giving us the green light on our visa application. In Japan, my girlfriend had to take the next step by going … Continue reading

Olli is los… massa los voor Olli

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En dan uw aandacht voor het volgende. Nieuws van dichtbij huis. Nieuws uit Rotterdam. Vanmiddag begon dan eindelijk de langverwachte verkoop van de pluche knuffelolifant Olli. Olli werd enkele maanden geleden geïntroduceerd in TV commercials en op Internet, geboren uit een samenwerking tussen verzekeraar ASR, Feyenoord, en de Rotterdamse Diergaarde Blijdorp. Hoewel de voortekenen al daar waren – ondanks de immense populariteit die Olli direct al verwierf was er geen enkele merchandise beschikbaar – bleek vandaag … Continue reading

Dreaming of Deshima: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

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It must have been two or three autumns ago that I was sitting behind my desk, suddenly thinking and developing a story for a novel I wanted to write about Japan. To be more precise: a grand story taking place in the era of some 250 years that the Dutch were the only Europeans allowed to come to Japan and trade – roughly from 1609 until 1854. This trading all took place on a small … Continue reading

Almost together: a story of paperwork on two sides of the planet

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Nothing ever stays the same. Nothing seems to be less true when considering Dutch governmental policy and politics regarding immigration and visas. This week, it was exactly one year since I applied for a partner visa for my Japanese girlfriend. To possibly help others who want to build up a future in the Netherlands together, I share our story of love, hope, money, paperwork, and ultimately success. At the same time, its a warning of … Continue reading

Traveling through Tokugawa Japan with Jin

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Two years have passed since Minakata Jin, doctor at a Tokyo hospital, fell through a ‘time slip’ and landed in Edo, Tokyo 150 years earlier. The end of the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate is near and great changes are happening within Japan. Will Jin be able to help his friends through these tumultuous times? After the great successes of the first season of Jin in 2009, a second season was broadcasted by TBS in … Continue reading

Back in time with Minakata Jin-sensei

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Ever since seeing the Back to the Future films as a child I have been interested in films and TV shows about time travelling. Although 2013 is just a few weeks old, I already stumbled upon my ‘discovery of the year’ with Jin, a Japanese drama/sci-fi/fantasy/medical TV series. Originally written and drawn as a manga (Japanese cartoon) by Motoka Murakami, Yoshiko Morishita successfully adapted the manga to the small screen for Tokyo Broadcasting System Television … Continue reading