- Japanese Popular Culture

Catalog description

This introductory course on Japanese society and culture explores Japanese popular culture as a way of understanding the changing character of media, cultural industries, fan communities, and contemporary societal issues. Topics include Japanese popular music, karaoke, popular arts, manga (Japanese comics), sports, anime (Japanese animation), television programs, street fashion and fashion designers, among others. Emphasis will be given to contemporary popular culture and theories of gender, sexuality, race, class, nationalism, and the workings of power in global cultural industries.