The most significant theme in post-war cultural politics of Japan had been incorporated out of domestic variations on continuous tradition in an insistent discourse. The aim of this essay is to critical review an article while drafting out key points of conclusion. The article selected is “Tradition and Difference in the Japanese Mass Media” by Marilyn Ivy, while reviewing the article in brief, final judgments will be provided.

1. CRITICAL REVIEW OF ARTICLE
“Tradition and Difference in the Japanese Mass Media”
by Marilyn Ivy

2. Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Reviewing and Evaluating the Article .......................................................................................2
Summary of the Article..........................................................................................................2
Positive Aspects of the Article...............................................................................................3
Negative Aspects of the Article .............................................................................................3
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................3
Short Summary ......................................................................................................................3
Final Judgment.......................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................4

3. Introduction
The most significant theme in post-war cultural politics of Japan had been incorporated out of
domestic variations on continuous tradition in an insistent discourse. The aim of this essay is
to critical review an article while drafting out key points of conclusion. The article selected is
“Tradition and Difference in the Japanese Mass Media” by Marilyn Ivy, while reviewing the
article in brief, final judgments will be provided.
Reviewing and Evaluating the Article
Summary of the Article
The article has been referred to Japan from the years of 1980s, with a shift in themes as a
result of growing affluence of mass mediated culture and consumerism in Japan, specifically
among the young population of urban area. However, the concern responsible for motivating
previous effort in stabilizing and recovering tradition do not seem to be having much
appearance within the latest constructions of media over an imaginary view of Japan (Ivy,
1988; 22). The blitz of media have a direct concern with originations in the period of post-
war had been the campaign of “Discover Japan” across the National Railways of Japan. The
campaign had been combined as the nostalgia of culture over the whole decade of the 1970s.
The phrase ended up taking over a resonance, exceeding the pragmatic function far enough as
a slogan of publicity for the railways, coming over for symbolizing the desire of generation
for escaping the originations. It has been widely recognized that there are significant
differences of the posters from scenic Japan that had been dealt with standard representations
(Ivy, 1988; 28). The style of this campaign tend to be presenting encounter, not only static
photographs of landscape, while laying stress upon interaction between the locales and the
travellers. The appeal and the focus involved a shift to view the landscapes of codification to
the interaction in a dynamic sense. Each and every poster within the series thus having one or
all modern women in their young age, with a suitable encounter in aspect of personification
within each and every tradition (Ivy, 1988; 29). In the mid period of the encounter, the
traveller will end up discovering an authentic, yet lost self of being a Japanese. The
campaign had surely initiated a serial reversal of desire and renunciation with the excess
availability of archaic religion and consumer stylishness. There lies an indication of
detachment ironically that is implied by Exotic Japan.

4. Positive Aspects of the Article
Considering the positive aspect about the article, there has been a detailed description of the
key concept has been provided while referring to different phases. The campaign of
“Discover Japan” seemed to be involving a huge significance with the overall culture of
Japan while easily enhancing the dynamic interaction and nostalgic feeling across the society
of Japan.
Negative Aspects of the Article
Considering the negative aspects of the article, it can be stated that the author should have
considered a detailed overview of the history behind what is being introduced by Media. The
key purpose has been fulfilled yet with the involvement of certain gaps in the way this paper
has been presented. There seems to be an involvement of strong realization over the loss of
culture that has to be perceived as a resistance to the contemporary society of Japan.
Conclusion
Short Summary
Overall, this paper has mentioned certain important facts related to the article “Tradition and
Difference in the Japanese Mass Media” by Marilyn Ivy. The main theme of this article was
the role of media in the campaign of “Discover Japan” that helped in spreading a nostalgic
feeling across Japan and its population. The promoters of 1980s have helped in providing a
significant twist being affixed with neoliberalism. This mode has been identified as
fascinating with the details prominent across the past of Japan (Ivy, 1988; 27). It can be
concluded that in the current era, Japan has the affordability of celebrating variations as a
number of choices of style and culture, has a primary existence with the reference points of
“Ekizochikku Japan”. The key purpose involved in regarding the exotic presentation of Japan
by presenting mass campaign for the promotion of its culture (Ivy, 1988; 26).
Final Judgment
The final judgment can be placed over the denotative level, the author has been successful in
referring to image and text having an exotic touch with the continental culture. The
significantly indiscriminate mixing and matching of culture seems to be presenting the
hallmark for what will the contemporary Japan will end up becoming with the global
situation and scenario of post- modernism, presenting a simple prorogation across the affluent
country of Japan.

5. References
Ivy, Marilyn. "Tradition and difference in the Japanese mass media." Public Culture 1, no. 1
(1988): 21-29.