Christal Whelan is an anthropologist and interpreter who has lived and worked in Japan and Mongolia. She studied at Harvard University, Boston University, and Brown University. Many of the chapters in Kansai Cool originated from her former columns in Kansai Culturescapes, which ran in The Daily Yomiuri.
This fascinating collection of essays illuminates the mind-blowing diversity of cool in contemporary Japan. From Lolita fashion to Buddhist microtemples, this is a must-read for anyone interested the hidden treasures of Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. -Ian Condry, MIT professor and author of The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan's Media Success Story Christal Whelan's highly intelligent new book on the essence of Japan seems to manage to include a revelation on every page...Endlessly engaging and supremely readable. -Simon Winchester, OBE, journalist, author of The Professor and the Madman