A history of twee, from Pitchfork. Good for the Belle & Sebastian/Elephant 6/Decemberists/etc. fans among us.

Sparked by my link to news photos yesterday: an essay on Japanese youth antisocial behavior after World War II. It’s so easy to forget how absolutely nuts the ’60s were, all around the world. Makes the more conservative, “law and order” voices of that decade seem more reasonable in retrospect, when you consider all the political killings and armed rebellions that were going on in places that seem impossible today.

And if you really want it: Video of the 1960 assassination-by-samurai-sword depicted in the photo I originally linked to.

And while we’re discussing strange Japanese violent movements: Aum Shinrikyo. And their current web site. Speaking of slow justice, the trial of Aum’s leader Shoko Asahara began shortly after the sarin-gas attacks he masterminded in 1995. He wasn’t actually convicted of anything until 2004. Makes the American system seem downright speedy.

27 October 2005

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