Author's Profile: Patrick W. Galbraith

Patrick W. Galbraith is a Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo. His research focus is the impact of material conditions on fantasy, specifically how shifts in modes of capitalism and consumption impact otaku culture in Japan. His primary ethnographic field site is Akihabara in eastern Tokyo. He has worked as a freelance journalist specializing in Japanese popular culture since 2004, which culminated in writing "The Otaku Encyclopedia" and co-founding Otaku2.com. His work has appeared in to "Metropolis," "Otaku USA" and on CNN Go.

ガルバレス・パトリック・ウィリアム：1982年アメリカ・アラスカ州生まれ。2004年、モンタナ大学時代に交換留学生として初来日。その後日本の大学院に入学し、学業の傍ら、2007年から秋葉原ツアーを主催。2009年に著書「The Otaku Encyclopedia」を出版。記者業もこなしつつ、東京大学大学院情報学環学際情報学府博士課程に在籍し、「オタク」研究を行っている。


Resume (履歴書)


Education

2008-: Ph.D. program in Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo, Japan
2008-2009: Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, Japan (Level 1 certified by Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services)
2006-2008: Graduate School of Global Studies at Sophia University, Japan (M.A. in Japanese Studies)
2001-2005: University of Montana, USA (B.A. in Print Journalism, B.A. in Japanese)

Teaching Employment

2010/8-10: Lecturer on Japanese Popular Culture at Tokyo International University
2010/8: Lecturer on Japanese Popular Culture for High School Summer Program at Temple University, Japan
2010/5-7: Lecturer on Japanese Manga Culture at Temple University, Japan Campus
2010/1-3: Lecturer on Japanese Popular Culture at Lakeland College Japan
2008: Global Studies faculty research assistant, Sophia University
2007: Teaching assistant to Anne Allison
2007-2008: English teacher at Digital Hollywood University
2006-2007: Lecturer on Japanese Popular Culture at Globalist Training Center in Chiba

General Employment

2004-: Freelance journalist (Metropolis, Otaku USA, CNN Go, etc)
2008: Co-founded Otaku2.com (a portal site for critical review of Japanese pop culture)
2008: Planned, organized and implemented Akihabara tour and conference at Digital Hollywood University involving Akiba Keizai Shibum and the Counsel of International Education
2007-2010: Akihabara tour guide for H.I.S. Experience Japan
2007: Co-founded Akibanana.com (a portal site for Akihabara and otaku culture)

Guest Lectures and Invited Talks

2010/10: “Akihabara: Conditioning a Public ‘Otaku’ Image,” Waseda University (Japanese Festa)
2010/9: "Maid Cafes and the Structure of Intimacy in Contemporary Japan," Meiji Gakuin University
2010/8: “The ‘Idol-ology’ of Desire: Commodity Fetishism and Japanese Media Culture,” Meiji University (Cool Japan summer program)
2010/3: “Otakuology: Media and the academy visualizing and discussing otaku,” Temple University, Japan
2010/1: “Akihabara: Conditioning a public ‘otaku’ image,” Lakeland College Japan
2009/11: “Japanese pop-culture past and present: Birth of the otaku market,” JENESYS
2009/11: “Policing Youth in Japan,” with David Slater at Temple University, Japan
2009/6: “Otaku and Akihabara: From Private to Public Space,” Temple University, Japan
2009/6: 「秋葉原とオタク文化」, presentation at Yokohama International Student Hall
2009/4: “Ethnography of Maid Cafes,” Yokohama City University
2008/11: “Akihabara and the globalization of otaku,” Temple University, Japan
2008/6: “Moe: Media mythology in Akihabara maid cafes,” Temple University, Japan
2008/5: “Otaku culture from the 1990s to now,” Nano Japan Program of Rice University, held at Tokyo Institute of Technology
2008/4: 「日米におけるやおいの比較分析」, Yokohama National University
2008/1: “Akihabara and otaku as commodities,” Keio Business School

Conference and Workshop Presentations

2010/11: “Maid cafes and the Structure of Intimacy in Neoliberal Japan,” conference titled “American Anthropological Association,” Sheraton New Orleans
2010/9: "Otakuology: Issues in the Study of Otaku," conference titled "Otakuology: Challenges and New Directions" (co-organized by Patrick W. Galbraith), Temple University, Japan
2010/8: “Maid cafes and the Structure of Intimacy in Neoliberal Japan,” conference titled “Society for Social Studies of Science,” University of Tokyo (Komaba Campus), Japan
2010/6: “Maid cafes and the Structure of Intimacy in Neoliberal Japan,” conference titled “Gendered Labor in Popular Culture,” Temple University, Japan
2010/6: “Otakuology: Otaku, Media and the Academy,” conference titled “Politics of Popular Culture,” Temple University, Japan
2010/3: “Otakuology: Media and the academy visualizing and discussing otaku,” conference titled “Globalizing Otaku,” Temple University, Japan
2010/1: “Moe, Otaku Culture and Japanese Contents” and “Otakuology, a dialogue” (with Thomas LaMarre), conference titled “Oniichan, what does moe mean?” University of Ottawa
2009/12: 「日本におけるコミック研究の可能について」, conference titled 「世界のコミックとコミックの世界」, Kyoto International Manga Museum
2009/10: “Maid Cafes: Ethnography of Affective Labor,” conference titled “Mapping the Spaces of Media Culture in Asia: Information, Communication and Politics,” University of Tokyo
2009/9: “Nico Nico Douga: The Politics of Play in the Digital Field,” conference titled “Language in the (New) Media: Technologies and Ideologies,” University of Washington
2009/7: “Maid Cafes and Imagined Intimacy,” conference titled “Cultural Typhoon,” Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
2009/6: “Maid Cafes: Individualism and the death of ‘corporate’ intimacy,” conference titled “Youth and Work in Contemporary Japan,” Temple University, Japan
2009/6: “Fujoshi: From ‘Ladies’ to ‘Rotten Girls,’ Transgressive Play and Intimacy among Japanese Yaoi Fans,” Thirteenth Asian Studies Conference Japan, Sophia University
2009/1: “Maid Cafes and alternative intimacy,” paper presented at “Bodies and Borders: Exploring Issues of Intimacy,” a symposium (co-planned by myself) held at Sophia University
2008/11: 「秋葉原と未来について」, panel member in discussion with Morikawa Kaichiro held by 新日本未来学会 in Akihabara
2008/9: “On the concept of moe,” conference titled “Imaginary Japan,” University of Helsinki
2008/6: “Nico Nico Douga: Digital ritual,” conference titled “Digital Youth,” Sophia University
2008/2: “Maid in Japan: Ethnography of Akihabara maid cafes and imaginary home,” International Graduate Student Conference, University of Hawaii, Manoa
2008/1: “Akihabara: Play, politics and power in popular space,” conference titled “Urban Image and the Re-Writing of the Japanese Metropolis,” Sophia University
2007/11: “Maid in Japan: Ethnography of Akihabara maid cafes and imaginary home,” conference titled “Anthropology of Japan in Japan,” Temple University, Japan

Academic Publications

Published or Accepted:
“Moe: Exploring Virtual Potential in Post-Millennial Japan,” the Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies (2009/10)
“Fujoshi: Women and girls exploring transgressive intimacy in contemporary Japan,” upcoming publication in Signs (2010)
“Akihabara: Conditioning a public ‘otaku’ image,” upcoming publication in Mechademia 5 (2010)
“Otakuology, a dialogue,” upcoming publication with Thomas LaMarre in Mechademia 5 (2010)
“The Otaku Social Mode: Media and material culture in Japan since the 1970s,” book chapter, (Un)Fleshing Worlds: Exploring Nature, Corporality and Technologic Life Through Manga, Anime and Japanese Popular Culture (2011)
“Maid cafes: The structure of intimacy in contemporary Japan,” upcoming publication in Intersections (2011)
“Otaku Consumers” upcoming book chapter, Japanese Consumer Dynamics (2011)
"Moe: On the Emergence of Virtual Potential," book chapter, ejcjs book project (2011)

Under Consideration:
“Idols: The image of desire in Japanese information-consumer society,” under consideration at Positions
“Otaku, Technology and the Virtually Human: Theorizing Japanese bishojo games,” under consideration at Game Studies
"Masculinity and Mass Murder in the ‘Otaku’ Capital: The nostalgia and tyranny of capitalism in Japan” (co-authored with David Slater), unpublished manuscript
“Dolls and fantasy recreation of connection,” unpublished manuscript
“Shifts in Capitalist Constructions of Masculinity: A comparison of hostess clubs and maid cafes” (co-authored with David Slater), unpublished manuscript

Popular publications

To Metropolis
“Akiba on the run,” feature story on international Akihabara and otaku (2008/2)
“All Dolled Up,” cover story on doll users and industries (2008/5)
“Dressed to Thrill,” cover story on globalization of cosplay (2008/6)
“Screen Dreams,” feature story on keitai novels (2009/1)　
“Band of Sisters,” feature story on Nakano Fujoshi Sisters (2009/6)
“Love Bytes,” feature story on dating simulator games (2009/8)
*Regular biweekly column for Metropolis from 2008-2010

To Otaku USA:
“Nakano Fujoshi Sisters” (2009/8)
“Otaku out for Blood” (2009/8)
“Interview with Nagashima Yuichiro” (2009/10)

Other:
“New university library puts focus on the fans,” feature story on Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subcultures for The Japan Times (2009/6/14)
The Otaku Encyclopedia published by Kodansha International (2009/6)
“A little bit enka, a little bit lolicon: Introducing Sakura Maya” and “Real Virtual Idols You Can’t Touch: Meet Techno-Trio Perfume,” stories for Rokkyuu.com (2009/7)
Tokyo Realtime: Akihabara, audio tour released by White Rabbit Press (2009/11)
“Akibizarre” and “Idol English to help with your idle English,” stories for CNN Go (2009/10)
"Tokyo's Best Maid Cafes,” story for CNN Go (2009/11)
“Edelstein café hooks up with ‘boys love’ theater,” for CNN Go (2010/2)
“Lifestyle Maid in Japan,” for Daisuki (German manga magazine) (2010/3)