ABSTRACT
Building upon the discussions in Chapters 1 and 2, this chapter discusses a range of issues that relate to images and symbols. The chapter begins by considering the way in which we can understand something from the way it looks through a concept referred to as ‘visual packaging culture’. The chapter also considers a range of things that can be understood from looking at the look of the Shinkansen high-speed trains in Japan, which are treated as a ‘symbol’ to study Japan. In the next section, the chapter looks at the idea of ‘contents tourism’ whereby fans of a particular media may travel to a particular place associated with that media. In the following section, the chapter challenges the idea that both transportation and contents tourism are about going to a place and provides an example of when this may not be the case. The chapter then discusses the usage of mascots and characters, including possible reasons for their origins and also how they can be used. The chapter concludes with a ‘Reflection’ section that asks you to consider some additional issues that relate to the topics that have been covered in the chapter.
