Japan Zoominar: Democratizing Luxury
2 July 2026
Japan Zoominar
Democratizing Luxury: Name Brands, Advertising, and Consumption in Modern Japan
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 4:00–5:00 PM (PDT) | 5:00–6:00 PM (MDT) | July 8, 8:00–9:00 AM (JST)
Format: Online
Register: UC San Diego's website
Annika Culver’s book “Democratizing Luxury: Name Brands, Advertising, and Consumption in Modern Japan” reveals how branding and advertising made high-quality “affordable luxury” goods desirable to a mass market in Japanese history.
Culver shows how brands across industries like cosmetics (Shiseido), whiskey (Suntory) and watches (Seiko, Casio) have imitated and then surpassed Western goods by creating a unique national identity through marketing and strategic pricing, including limited editions to boost desirability. With case studies ranging from the late 19th century to the present, Culver follows this evolution all the way to the “Cool Japan” era, with a focus on how middle-class women became key consumers and how “Japaneseness” itself became a marketed luxury.
The Japan Zoominar @ UC San Diego is organized by the Japan Forum for Innovation and Technology at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS). It is sponsored by the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO). For previous Japan Zoominars, please visit YouTube.
If you have any questions, please contact GPS Events Coordinator Bev Fruto at brfruto@ucsd.edu