JAPN 308: Japanese Pop Culture
Course Description:
This course explores post WWII Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. Investigates social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japanese hedonism to childhood fantasies by looking at Manga comic books, Anime animated movies, and popular music from Enka to J-Pop to Karaoke, as well as fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. Explores the evolution of pop culture and its impact on society. Taught in English. (Credit/No Credit Available) (Prereq: Junior or Senior Standing)
Reflective Narrative:
This course helped me to fulfill my MLO 2 culture requirement. We learned all about pop culture, and its difference with high culture. We went briefly over ukiyo-e (woodblock paintings) of the edo period, and how that was the main point of pop culture at the time. Then we also went over how Akihabara influences the pop culture of modern Japan. Through taking this course we were able to see why Japan’s pop culture has become a global attraction.
In this course we had frequent quizzes that went over what we studied in class, but we also had a few papers and presentations. The first paper that I did was on otaku culture. It went over how the otaku is viewed in Japan versus what they are actually like and how they contribute to Japanese pop culture. Then since Japanese Role-playing games (video games) are so popular there and make up a good amount of the rpgs in America our group project was on just that. We talked about what jrpgs are and how they influence gaming communities. Then for the final paper I wrote on pirating and fansubbers. Since the widely known part of Japanese pop culture is anime I figured I would write on the illegal ways that it gets over here, and how it has actually been helping the spread of Japanese pop culture abroad.
This course aided in providing a deeper understanding of Japanese pop culture. The class was still not able to go very deep, since there was so much material, but I do feel I have a better grasp on what Japanese pop culture is made up. I especially learned a great deal about Akihabara and the goings on there with what its attractions are.
I would love to go over more about fansubbing. I did my final on this, but I would still love to learn more about that. I would also like to learn more about how pop culture is spreading globally and in what areas it’s doing successfully in.
There are several TV shows/documentaries in this subject, so I could do see that to further explore this topic. I also think that it will have to be a lot of personal research to find the information I’m looking for.
This course explores post WWII Japanese music, literature, artistic media, and hi-tech products. Investigates social themes ranging from post-holocaust Japanese hedonism to childhood fantasies by looking at Manga comic books, Anime animated movies, and popular music from Enka to J-Pop to Karaoke, as well as fashion and style, popular technology, consumerism, and environmental issues. Explores the evolution of pop culture and its impact on society. Taught in English. (Credit/No Credit Available) (Prereq: Junior or Senior Standing)
Reflective Narrative:
This course helped me to fulfill my MLO 2 culture requirement. We learned all about pop culture, and its difference with high culture. We went briefly over ukiyo-e (woodblock paintings) of the edo period, and how that was the main point of pop culture at the time. Then we also went over how Akihabara influences the pop culture of modern Japan. Through taking this course we were able to see why Japan’s pop culture has become a global attraction.
In this course we had frequent quizzes that went over what we studied in class, but we also had a few papers and presentations. The first paper that I did was on otaku culture. It went over how the otaku is viewed in Japan versus what they are actually like and how they contribute to Japanese pop culture. Then since Japanese Role-playing games (video games) are so popular there and make up a good amount of the rpgs in America our group project was on just that. We talked about what jrpgs are and how they influence gaming communities. Then for the final paper I wrote on pirating and fansubbers. Since the widely known part of Japanese pop culture is anime I figured I would write on the illegal ways that it gets over here, and how it has actually been helping the spread of Japanese pop culture abroad.
This course aided in providing a deeper understanding of Japanese pop culture. The class was still not able to go very deep, since there was so much material, but I do feel I have a better grasp on what Japanese pop culture is made up. I especially learned a great deal about Akihabara and the goings on there with what its attractions are.
I would love to go over more about fansubbing. I did my final on this, but I would still love to learn more about that. I would also like to learn more about how pop culture is spreading globally and in what areas it’s doing successfully in.
There are several TV shows/documentaries in this subject, so I could do see that to further explore this topic. I also think that it will have to be a lot of personal research to find the information I’m looking for.