Alternative Politics: Youth, Media, Performance and Activism in Urban Japan

Yesterday, I attended a conference at Sophia University entitled Alternative Politics: Youth, Media, Performance and Activism in Urban Japan The panels focused on themes such as the history of protest movements; experiments in alternative lifestyles organized around art, culture and activism; the meaning of "political"; the contestation of public spaces.

I learned a lot about the recent history of counter culture in Tokyo. For example, through Sharon Hayashi's presentation on "Mapping Protest Tokyo: New Media and the Politics of Representation," I learned about the 2004 "sound demonstrations" in Shibuya against the Iraq war.



Apparently inspired by the "reclaim the streets" movement in Europe, it seems that the sound demos united various groups from Tokyo's counterculture. In contrast to the violent protests of the 1968 era, the protests were peaceful, upbeat, and humorous events, despite an inordinate number of armed riot police. The tradition of sound demos has continued and evolved, themed around such issues as the G8 Summit, anti-poverty campaigns, or May Day celebtrations of "Freedom and Survival."


G8


anti-poverty


May Day