Japanese Popular Culture II-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS01 20019 LE38 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture |
| Target Year | Mainly 1st & 2nd year students | Target Student | For all majors |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Tue.2 |
| Instructor name | MURPHY, Mahon (Graduate School of Law Associate Professor) | ||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | The purpose of this course is to study the historical development of popular culture in Japan from 1945 to the present day. The phenomenon of ‘Cool Japan’ is one of the distinctive features of the Japanese government’s use of popular culture as a diplomatic tool. This course will look at the development of popular culture from the ruins of post-war Japan into its current form as an integral part of Japan’s status as a ‘soft-power super-power’. The course will combine high politics and diplomacy with trends in music, manga and video games to show how popular culture came to be such an important political tool. The course is suitable for both students who have a deep understanding of popular culture and those who are new comers. | ||
| Course Goals |
The Course has 3 goals 1 Gain an understanding of the history of popular culture 2 Recognize the political importance of popular culture 3 Read and analyze academic texts in English |
||
| Schedule and Contents |
The course will develop as follows: 1. Introduction: Popular Culture Theory The Post-War Period 2. Chocolate and Tobacco: Horizontal Westernization in the 1940s. 3. King of the Monsters: Godzilla and Japan’s Atomic Age 4. Pro-Wrestling as a mass event: the rise of TV culture Japan Back in the World 5. The 1964 Olympics: Rejoining the Family of Nations 6. Beatlemania hits Japan: Music and Revolution 7. Visualizing Popular Culture: The Manga Boom Hi-Tech Popular Culture 8. Pachinko: A truly Japanese Popular Culture? 9. Nintendo takes over America: Video Games in the 1980s 10. Backlash: Anti-Japanese Movements in the USA Japanese Popular Culture becomes Global Popular Culture 11. Dreaming of Sushi: Global Washoku 12. Anime and its International Impact 13. A 21st Century Popular Culture Super Power: Cool Japan 14. Review Lecture 15. Exam 16. Feedback Total:14 classes and 1 feedback |
||
| Evaluation Methods and Policy |
Evaluation will be based on the following: Active participation in class 20%. Mid term essay 30%. End of Term Exam 50%. - Those who are absent from four classes or more will not pass. - Students have to submit the mid term essay. |
||
| Course Requirements | None | ||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Students will receive a reading and questions every week to prepare for class. | ||
