AP/JP 3610 3.00

JAPANESE POPULAR CULTURE: BEYOND MANGA AND ANIME

This course examines contemporary Japanese popular culture and its influence not only on its Asian neighbours, especially China and Korea, but also on the West. Not only are genres such as film, television, and popular literature examined, but also particularly Japanese phenomenon such as otaku, moe, sh?shoku danshi (""herbivore men"") and the Japanese penchant for ""cuteness."" The study of traditional Japanese culture can help us to understand Japan and its peoples, but popular culture offers a unique insight into the diversity of Japanese society. In this course pop culture is utilized as a medium that can offer broader perspectives on issues such as contemporary concerns over personal identity, social problems, politics, and religion by employing popular culture theories and methodological approaches,
Although in the latter half of the 20th century Japanese popular culture has developed in an increasingly globalized environment where Western popular mediums have been adopted, and adapted, and then exported in a repackaged format, many of the trends that are examined in this course are specific to Japan. This raises the question of what it means to be ""Japanese,"" and revisits the concept of a national culture.