Lakeland University Japan Dean Emeritus Dr. Alan Brender Publishes Book About Japanese Pop-Culture
Dr. Alan Brender has published a new book, available now from HeadPress Books, titled Pink Tsunami: The Hello Kitty Kawaii Wave That Has Swept The World.
Dr. Brender was instrumental in bringing Lakeland University Japan to where it is today. From 2006 to 2022, Dr. Brender served as Dean of LUJ, directing its transformation from a 2-year college in Shinjuku to an established 4-year university now in Ryogoku.
No stranger to the world of publishing, Dr. Brender is the author of over 20 books, but Pink Tsunami might be his most ambitious. The serendipitous dean and global traveler compiled hundreds of sources and completed interviews to deliver a comprehensive narrative history about the cultural legacy of Hello Kitty, a character now over a half-century old. “I wrote the book,” Dr. Brender explains in its preface, “because I am interested in the character as a cultural phenomenon that originated in Japan, but gained international fame.”
In Chapter 1 of the book, Dr. Brender is quick to place Hello Kitty in the pantheon of cartoon legend greats. “She’s probably the most popular female cartoon character in the world. Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Peppa Pig, an anthropomorphic British piglet, don’t hold a candle to her. She’s neck and neck, sometimes slightly ahead, and sometimes slightly behind Mickey Mouse as the most popular global cartoon animal.”
The book can also be purchased on Amazon.
In July, Dr. Brender spoke with Rebekah Buchanan for New Books Network about Pink Tsunami.
A: Dr. Alan Brender served as the Dean of Lakeland University Japan from 2006 to 2022. He was instrumental in the institution’s growth, directing its transformation from a two-year college in Shinjuku into the established four-year university it is today in Ryogoku. He is also a global traveler and a prolific author with over 20 published books.
A: Published by HeadPress Books, Pink Tsunami: The Hello Kitty Kawaii Wave That Has Swept The World is a comprehensive narrative history exploring the half-century cultural legacy of Hello Kitty. Dr. Brender compiled hundreds of sources and interviews to examine how the character originated in Japan and grew into an international cultural phenomenon that rivals global icons like Mickey Mouse. The book is currently available for purchase on Amazon.
• B.A. Business Administration
• B.S. Data Science
• B.A. Hospitality Management
• B.A. Management
• B.A. Communication
• M.B.A. Masters of Business Administration
• M.S. – Leadership and Organizational Development
