Publications by Kathryn Phillips
Gender, Place, and Culture, 2022
Studies of the global spread of South Korean popular culture have often neglected the role that s... more Studies of the global spread of South Korean popular culture have often neglected the role that space plays in this transnational fandom and consumer culture. Explicitly exploring the geography of Korean popular culture consumption in Japan, this article draws upon a walking ethnography of Tokyo's 'Koreatown' of Shin-Okubo and interviews with selected consumers to reveal how 'K-pop spaces' within Japan have become tied to young women's consumer culture. We argue that spaces of K-pop promotion and consumption within Tokyo are inherently 'feminised' due to their linkage to pre-established promotional strategies in consumer districts specifically targeting young women. Through an ethnography of Shin-Okubo and interviews with K-pop fans who regularly visit this district, we further reveal how this 'ethnic enclave' has been reconfigured as another 'feminised' consumer space that caters to particular behaviours and attitudes based in K-pop fandom. Overall, this article charts the emergence of 'feminine' consumer spaces in Tokyo and interrogates how the ethnic enclave of Shin-Okubo has transformed into a gendered space tied to Japanese K-pop fandom.
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Publications by Kathryn Phillips