E372 Japanese Popular Culture

No prerequisites; knowledge of Japanese language is not necessary.

This lecture/discussion course explores the history of Japanese
popular culture from the seventeenth century to the present time. We
will be examining a range of cultural genres including kabuki drama,
jôruri puppet plays, the all-female Takarazuka revue, enka songs,
popular literature, popular film and consumer products. While this
course is intended to provide a historical overview, it also
considers the question of “What is popular culture?” from a
theoretical perspective. In addition to visual, aural and
literary “texts,” we will read various secondary critical materials
that address the issue of “mass/popular cultures” and help us
understand the meaning of such cultures within the specific contexts
of their production.
Students will be evaluated on class attendance and discussion
participation, oral presentation, two short papers, midterm and
final exams.

Meets with the graduate course, EALC-E 505, 26811.