Abstract:
I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Lawrence Marceau for continuous support on this research project. He offered me pertinent and motivating comments when I doubted myself. Dr. Marceau is an exceptional mentor and friend, and most important, the reason why I am pursuing the career of an academic. I am grateful to Dr. Rebecca Copeland, a brilliant translator and a warmly supportive academic. I consulted Dr. Copeland many times on matters regarding the translation she did for Grotesque, and she always replied with tremendous patience and enthusiasm. She is a significant contributor to this thesis. Moreover, I would like to thank sincerely Dr. Susan Ingram who introduced me to urban studies and thus made a difference in my academic life. I would also like to recognize the School of Asian Studies at the University of Auckland and my family for their support. Last but certainly not least, I want to thank my AIKOM friend Son Joonwoo (Kuma-san) for providing the photographs of Shibuya which I have inserted into this thesis.
