(= A HIS 278) Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present

Catalog description

This course introduces some of the forms of "popular culture" prevalent in Japan from 1600 until the present day, with a strong emphasis on the social, economic and intellectual forces behind these major trends. This course, organized chronologically, offers a look at the many historical developments connected with popular forms of music, theater, film and comics, including the rise of a new urban print culture in the 17 th century, the introduction of "Western" art forms such as motion pictures and jazz music in the 1920s, and the steady expansion of both domestic and international markets for Japanese film, music, and comics in the years since 1945. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Japanese is required. Only one of A EAJ/A HIS 278 or T EAJ/T HIS 278 may be taken for credit. T EAJ/T HIS is open to honors college students only.