日本語 English
| 開講年度/ Academic YearAcademic Year |
20262026 |
| 科目設置学部/ CollegeCollege |
法学部/College of Law and PoliticsCollege of Law and Politics |
| 科目コード等/ Course CodeCourse Code |
EX801/EX801EX801 |
| テーマ・サブタイトル等/ Theme・SubtitleTheme・Subtitle |
An analytical examination of critical issues in Japan’s current sociopolitical discourses and representations |
| 授業形態/ Class FormatClass Format |
対面（一部オンライン）/Face-to-face (partially online)Face-to-face (partially online) |
| 授業形態（補足事項）/ Class Format (Supplementary Items)Class Format (Supplementary Items) |
The final review session will be taught online |
| 授業形式/ Class StyleCampus |
講義/LectureLecture |
| 校地/ CampusCampus |
池袋/IkebukuroIkebukuro |
| 学期/ SemesterSemester |
春学期/Spring SemesterSpring Semester |
| 曜日時限・教室/ DayPeriod・RoomDayPeriod・Room |
木3/Thu.3 Thu.3 ログインして教室を表示する（Log in to view the classrooms.） |
| 単位/ CreditsCredits |
22 |
| 科目ナンバリング/ Course NumberCourse Number |
LPX3901 |
| 使用言語/ LanguageLanguage |
英語/EnglishEnglish |
| 履修登録方法/ Class Registration MethodClass Registration Method |
抽選登録/Lottery RegistrationLottery Registration（定員：10人/ Capacity：10） |
| 配当年次/ Assigned YearAssigned Year |
配当年次は開講学部のR Guideに掲載している科目表で確認してください。配当年次は開講学部のR Guideに掲載している科目表で確認してください。 |
| 先修規定/ Prerequisite RegulationsPrerequisite Regulations |
|
| 他学部履修可否/ Acceptance of Other CollegesAcceptance of Other Colleges |
履修登録システムの『他学部・他研究科履修不許可科目一覧』で確認してください。 |
| 履修中止可否/ Course CancellationCourse Cancellation |
〇（履修中止可/ Eligible for cancellation） |
| オンライン授業60単位制限対象科目/ Online Classes Subject to 60-Credit Upper LimitOnline Classes Subject to 60-Credit Upper Limit |
|
| 学位授与方針との関連/ Relationship with Degree PolicyRelationship with Degree Policy |
各授業科目は、学部・研究科の定める学位授与方針（DP）や教育課程編成の方針（CP）に基づき、カリキュラム上に配置されています。詳細はカリキュラム・マップで確認することができます。 https://www.rikkyo.ac.jp/about/disclosure/educational_policy/lp.html |
| 備考/ NotesNotes |
法学部国際ビジネス法学科グローバルコースの学生のみ Only for students of College of Law and Politics Global Program of the Department of International Business Law |
This course is designed to develop students' ability to comprehend, analyze, and discuss critical issues in contemporary Japan from a media/cultural studies perspective. Students are asked to analytically examine sociopolitical discourses and representations to better understand domestic issues arising from historical legacies, ideological structures, and power dynamics in Japan today.
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
(1) critically investigate and discuss Japanese representations of sociopolitical issues grounded in frameworks of media/cultural studies theory.
(2) understand the inter/national contexts and complexities of these issues and how they manifest intersectional identities and societal relations in Japan today.
This is an intensive reading-heavy, writing-based, and discussion-oriented course, in which students will review professional media/cultural studies texts to better understand sociopolitical issues, identities, and relations in Japanese society. Students will conduct independent study/research, comprehend and apply theoretical concepts in their analysis, and present their observations to the class. Active participation in individual/group classwork and analytical application of theory in verbal/written answers are crucial for successful performance in this class. It is thus important that students diligently complete the out-of-class preparations and attend each class ready to produce insightful responses, ask critical questions, and express themselves thoughtfully without being prompted.
Students will come to each content week 1) having read all assigned journal articles/book chapters, 2) with their homework writing ready to submit/share, 3) and having reviewed relevant media material. Students taking this course will discuss the reading concepts, their HW writings, and task answers in class every week, with additional evaluation based on a closed-book and handwritten midterm test, and presentation of an individual research project.
| 1 | Introduction to the course, Q&A Yoshimi, Shunya. "Television and nationalism: Historical change in the national domestic TV formation of postwar Japan." European Journal of Cultural Studies 6, no. 4 (2003): 459-487. |
| 2 | Salaried identities and hegemonic relations Occhi, Debra J., Cindi L. SturtzSreetharan, and Janet S. Shibamoto-Smith. 2010. "Finding Mr Right: New Looks at Gendered Modernity in Japanese Televised Romances." Japanese Studies 30 (3): 409–25. Frühstück, Sabine. "4. After Heroism. Must Real Soldiers Die?" In Recreating Japanese Men edited by Sabine Frühstück and Anne Walthall, 91-112. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Dasgupta, Romit. "Articulations of Salaryman Masculinity in Shôwa and Post-Shôwa Japan." Asia Pacific Perspectives 15, no. 1 (2017): 36–54. |
| 3 | Dramatic identities and romanticized relations Dales, Laura. "1. Women, Feminism and the Family in Contemporary Japan." In Feminist movements in contemporary Japan, 11-37. Routledge, 2009. Lukacs, Gabriella. "What’s Love Got to Do with It?: Love dramas and branded selves." In Scripted Affects, Branded Selves: Television, Subjectivity, and Capitalism in 1990s Japan, 117–46. Duke University Press, 2010. Freedman, Alisa. "Tokyo Love Story: Romance of the Working Woman in Japanese Television Dramas." In Introducing Japanese popular culture, pp. 48-58. Routledge, 2023. Miller, Laura. "Purikura: Expressive energy in female self-photography." In Introducing Japanese popular culture, pp. 121-129. Routledge, 2023. |
| 4 | Familial identities and nuclear relations Yoda, Tomiko. "The rise and fall of maternal society: Gender, labor, and capital in contemporary Japan." The South Atlantic Quarterly 99, no. 4 (2000): 865-902. Hashimoto, Akiko. "Blondie, Sazae, and Their Storied Successors: Japanese Families in Newspaper Comics." Imagined Families, Lived Families: Culture and Kinship in Contemporary Japan, edited by Akiko Hashimoto and John W. Traphagan, State University of New York Press, 2008, pp. 15–32. Napier, Susan J. "From Spiritual Fathers to Tokyo Godfathers: Depictions of the Family in Japanese Animation." Imagined Families, Lived Families: Culture and Kinship in Contemporary Japan, edited by Akiko Hashimoto and John W. Traphagan, State University of New York Press, 2008, pp. 33–50. |
| 5 | Fighting identities and embodied relations Orbaugh, Sharalyn. "Busty Battlin’ Babes: The Evolution of the Shōjo in 1990s Visual Culture." Gender and Power in the Japanese Visual Field, edited by Joshua S. Mostow et al., University of Hawai’i Press, 2003, pp. 201–28. Piatti‐Farnell, Lorna. "Blood, Biceps, and Beautiful Eyes: Cultural Representations of Masculinity in Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya." The Journal of Popular Culture 46, no. 6 (2013): 1133-1155. Yeo, Yezi, and Amanda Weiss. "Kawaii kokutai: The Militarized Shōjo Body in Contemporary Anime." Mechademia 15, no. 1 (2022): 122-143. |
| 6 | Intimate identities and commodified relations Darling‐Wolf, Fabienne. "SMAP, sex, and masculinity: Constructing the perfect female fantasy in Japanese popular music." Popular music and society 27, no. 3 (2004): 357-370. Fisch, Michael. "War by Metaphor in Densha otoko." Mechademia 4, no. 1 (2009): 131-146. Takeyama, Akiko. "Intimacy for sale: Masculinity, entrepreneurship, and commodity self in Japan's neoliberal situation." Japanese Studies 30, no. 2 (2010): 231-246. |
| 7 | Idolized identities and advertised relations Hills, Matthew. "Fan Cultures Between ‘Fantasy’ and ‘Reality’" In Fan cultures. Routledge, 2003, pp. 90-114. Karlin, Jason G. "Through a looking glass darkly: Television advertising, idols, and the making of fan audiences." In Idols and celebrity in Japanese media culture, pp. 72-93. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2012. Karlin, Jason G. "Precarious consumption after 3.11: Television advertising in risk society." Media convergence in Japan (2016): 30-59. |
| 8 | Mid-term test (closed book, handwritten) Bring writing utensils and a non-smart watch. No reference material or electronic device can be used during the test. There is no make up option available. |
| 9 | Presentation draft check Bring to class a detailed outline of your final presentation containing: the title, objective, table of content, methodology, literature review/concepts, analysis of original case study, discussion of findings, reference list (at least five academic sources in Chicago), and AI use disclosure. Instructions/feedback for the presentation will be given collectively in this session only. |
| 10 | Final presentations and discussions-1 |
| 11 | Final presentations and discussions-2 |
| 12 | Final presentations and discussions-3 |
| 13 | Final presentations and discussions-4 |
| 14 | Final review |
板書 /Writing on the Board
スライド（パワーポイント等）の使用 /Slides (PowerPoint, etc.)
上記以外の視聴覚教材の使用 /Audiovisual Materials Other than Those Listed Above
個人発表 /Individual Presentations
グループ発表 /Group Presentations
ディスカッション・ディベート /Discussion/Debate
実技・実習・実験 /Practicum/Experiments/Practical Training
学内の教室外施設の利用 /Use of On-Campus Facilities Outside the Classroom
校外実習・フィールドワーク /Field Work
上記いずれも用いない予定 /None of the above
| 補足事項 (Supplementary Items) |
|---|
| Self-led study: independent research project |
At Rikkyo University, students are required to spend 45 hours of study (including class time) per credit.
For this course, this translates into 62 hours study time outside of class. Assignments have been designed accordingly,
however, individual study time outside of the classroom may vary, i.e., more time might be necessary to complete
weekly assignments and prepare for tests/presentations, etc.
Students taking this course are expected to come to class having completed all reading assignments, writing tasks,
and media viewing requirements to effectively participate in classwork and discussion every week. Students are also
required to independently prepare for their mid-term test and presentation outside of class.
For their HW assignments and presentations, students need to find academic journal articles/books for their academic
literature review/concepts:
1) Search topic keywords using Google Scholar on campus for peer-reviewed articles and/or use the library.
2) Clearly differentiate their own original content from news/journal article content and other data by correctly citing
sources in-text throughout presentation/task answers and providing a full reference list at the end.
| 種類 (Kind) | 割合 (%) | 基準 (Criteria) |
|---|---|---|
| 平常点 (In-class Points) | 100 |
Attendance: Well-read & active participation(30%) Assignments: HW & task answers shared in-class(30%) Mid-term test on readings (closed-book, handwritten)(20%) Final presentation(20%) |
| 備考 (Notes) | ||
| The final grade is determined by calculating a cumulative score of each student’s completion of the various assessments. There are no make up options for missed classes, missed tests, or missed deadlines for assignments, except in university-sanctioned documented circumstances. | ||
| その他 (Others) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Materials will be provided by the instructor in-class or via Canvas. All provided materials are only to be used for the purpose of this class. 2. Designated news media and academic sources for this course: The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/), NPR (https://www.npr.org/), The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/), and The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/) for news articles, and peer-reviewed English journal articles and books that are published by universities or academic publishing companies. |
| その他 (Others) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading materials will be provided by the instructor. |
1. Students are expected to read, comprehend, and utilize academic literature in English. Thus, advanced or close to advanced English reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities are required for this course.
2. Students also need to be able to independently prepare for their test and execute a research project for their final presentation. Thus, students are expected to be familiar with academic research, writing, and presentation skills, which will not be taught in this course.
3. Students need to check the syllabus carefully for instructions and their Rikkyo account emails and Canvas announcements frequently for class updates.
4. Finally, students need to be able to use GoogleDocs/Sheets/Slides during class.
Students should bring a laptop/tablet with keyboard and writing tools to each class unless otherwise specified. Note-taking can be done by hand or with a laptop depending on student preference, but in-class task answers require a laptop/tablet to submit via GoogleDocs. All forms of unauthorized recording, photographing, or sharing of class material outside of this course, are strictly prohibited.
1. Schedule, off/online format, and syllabus content, such as assigned article titles, are subject to change.
2. Students need to be aware that answers/summaries produced by generative AI are not always factual or reliable. In this course, generative AI should only be used for tasks such as translating, copy-editing, or formatting citations. Unauthorized use of generative AI for classwork will result in grade deductions and any AI use for the purposes of this course needs to be declared.
3. Student are encouraged to freely exchange ideas and viewpoints in class; however, hate-speech, i.e., any kind of threatening or intimidating behavior and communication that uses misogynistic, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist language and otherwise pejorative or discriminatory expressions based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, etc., will not be tolerated.
It is recommended that the student’s English level is at or above
TOEFL iBT 80/4.5，IELTS 6.0, TOEIC L&R 700, or TOEIC L&R IP 700.
This course is designed to develop students' ability to comprehend, analyze, and discuss critical issues in contemporary Japan from a media/cultural studies perspective. Students are asked to analytically examine sociopolitical discourses and representations to better understand domestic issues arising from historical legacies, ideological structures, and power dynamics in Japan today.
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
(1) critically investigate and discuss Japanese representations of sociopolitical issues grounded in frameworks of media/cultural studies theory.
(2) understand the inter/national contexts and complexities of these issues and how they manifest intersectional identities and societal relations in Japan today.
This is an intensive reading-heavy, writing-based, and discussion-oriented course, in which students will review professional media/cultural studies texts to better understand sociopolitical issues, identities, and relations in Japanese society. Students will conduct independent study/research, comprehend and apply theoretical concepts in their analysis, and present their observations to the class. Active participation in individual/group classwork and analytical application of theory in verbal/written answers are crucial for successful performance in this class. It is thus important that students diligently complete the out-of-class preparations and attend each class ready to produce insightful responses, ask critical questions, and express themselves thoughtfully without being prompted.
Students will come to each content week 1) having read all assigned journal articles/book chapters, 2) with their homework writing ready to submit/share, 3) and having reviewed relevant media material. Students taking this course will discuss the reading concepts, their HW writings, and task answers in class every week, with additional evaluation based on a closed-book and handwritten midterm test, and presentation of an individual research project.
| 1 | Introduction to the course, Q&A Yoshimi, Shunya. "Television and nationalism: Historical change in the national domestic TV formation of postwar Japan." European Journal of Cultural Studies 6, no. 4 (2003): 459-487. |
| 2 | Salaried identities and hegemonic relations Occhi, Debra J., Cindi L. SturtzSreetharan, and Janet S. Shibamoto-Smith. 2010. "Finding Mr Right: New Looks at Gendered Modernity in Japanese Televised Romances." Japanese Studies 30 (3): 409–25. Frühstück, Sabine. "4. After Heroism. Must Real Soldiers Die?" In Recreating Japanese Men edited by Sabine Frühstück and Anne Walthall, 91-112. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Dasgupta, Romit. "Articulations of Salaryman Masculinity in Shôwa and Post-Shôwa Japan." Asia Pacific Perspectives 15, no. 1 (2017): 36–54. |
| 3 | Dramatic identities and romanticized relations Dales, Laura. "1. Women, Feminism and the Family in Contemporary Japan." In Feminist movements in contemporary Japan, 11-37. Routledge, 2009. Lukacs, Gabriella. "What’s Love Got to Do with It?: Love dramas and branded selves." In Scripted Affects, Branded Selves: Television, Subjectivity, and Capitalism in 1990s Japan, 117–46. Duke University Press, 2010. Freedman, Alisa. "Tokyo Love Story: Romance of the Working Woman in Japanese Television Dramas." In Introducing Japanese popular culture, pp. 48-58. Routledge, 2023. Miller, Laura. "Purikura: Expressive energy in female self-photography." In Introducing Japanese popular culture, pp. 121-129. Routledge, 2023. |
| 4 | Familial identities and nuclear relations Yoda, Tomiko. "The rise and fall of maternal society: Gender, labor, and capital in contemporary Japan." The South Atlantic Quarterly 99, no. 4 (2000): 865-902. Hashimoto, Akiko. "Blondie, Sazae, and Their Storied Successors: Japanese Families in Newspaper Comics." Imagined Families, Lived Families: Culture and Kinship in Contemporary Japan, edited by Akiko Hashimoto and John W. Traphagan, State University of New York Press, 2008, pp. 15–32. Napier, Susan J. "From Spiritual Fathers to Tokyo Godfathers: Depictions of the Family in Japanese Animation." Imagined Families, Lived Families: Culture and Kinship in Contemporary Japan, edited by Akiko Hashimoto and John W. Traphagan, State University of New York Press, 2008, pp. 33–50. |
| 5 | Fighting identities and embodied relations Orbaugh, Sharalyn. "Busty Battlin’ Babes: The Evolution of the Shōjo in 1990s Visual Culture." Gender and Power in the Japanese Visual Field, edited by Joshua S. Mostow et al., University of Hawai’i Press, 2003, pp. 201–28. Piatti‐Farnell, Lorna. "Blood, Biceps, and Beautiful Eyes: Cultural Representations of Masculinity in Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya." The Journal of Popular Culture 46, no. 6 (2013): 1133-1155. Yeo, Yezi, and Amanda Weiss. "Kawaii kokutai: The Militarized Shōjo Body in Contemporary Anime." Mechademia 15, no. 1 (2022): 122-143. |
| 6 | Intimate identities and commodified relations Darling‐Wolf, Fabienne. "SMAP, sex, and masculinity: Constructing the perfect female fantasy in Japanese popular music." Popular music and society 27, no. 3 (2004): 357-370. Fisch, Michael. "War by Metaphor in Densha otoko." Mechademia 4, no. 1 (2009): 131-146. Takeyama, Akiko. "Intimacy for sale: Masculinity, entrepreneurship, and commodity self in Japan's neoliberal situation." Japanese Studies 30, no. 2 (2010): 231-246. |
| 7 | Idolized identities and advertised relations Hills, Matthew. "Fan Cultures Between ‘Fantasy’ and ‘Reality’" In Fan cultures. Routledge, 2003, pp. 90-114. Karlin, Jason G. "Through a looking glass darkly: Television advertising, idols, and the making of fan audiences." In Idols and celebrity in Japanese media culture, pp. 72-93. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2012. Karlin, Jason G. "Precarious consumption after 3.11: Television advertising in risk society." Media convergence in Japan (2016): 30-59. |
| 8 | Mid-term test (closed book, handwritten) Bring writing utensils and a non-smart watch. No reference material or electronic device can be used during the test. There is no make up option available. |
| 9 | Presentation draft check Bring to class a detailed outline of your final presentation containing: the title, objective, table of content, methodology, literature review/concepts, analysis of original case study, discussion of findings, reference list (at least five academic sources in Chicago), and AI use disclosure. Instructions/feedback for the presentation will be given collectively in this session only. |
| 10 | Final presentations and discussions-1 |
| 11 | Final presentations and discussions-2 |
| 12 | Final presentations and discussions-3 |
| 13 | Final presentations and discussions-4 |
| 14 | Final review |
板書 /Writing on the Board
スライド（パワーポイント等）の使用 /Slides (PowerPoint, etc.)
上記以外の視聴覚教材の使用 /Audiovisual Materials Other than Those Listed Above
個人発表 /Individual Presentations
グループ発表 /Group Presentations
ディスカッション・ディベート /Discussion/Debate
実技・実習・実験 /Practicum/Experiments/Practical Training
学内の教室外施設の利用 /Use of On-Campus Facilities Outside the Classroom
校外実習・フィールドワーク /Field Work
上記いずれも用いない予定 /None of the above
| 補足事項 (Supplementary Items) |
|---|
| Self-led study: independent research project |
At Rikkyo University, students are required to spend 45 hours of study (including class time) per credit.
For this course, this translates into 62 hours study time outside of class. Assignments have been designed accordingly,
however, individual study time outside of the classroom may vary, i.e., more time might be necessary to complete
weekly assignments and prepare for tests/presentations, etc.
Students taking this course are expected to come to class having completed all reading assignments, writing tasks,
and media viewing requirements to effectively participate in classwork and discussion every week. Students are also
required to independently prepare for their mid-term test and presentation outside of class.
For their HW assignments and presentations, students need to find academic journal articles/books for their academic
literature review/concepts:
1) Search topic keywords using Google Scholar on campus for peer-reviewed articles and/or use the library.
2) Clearly differentiate their own original content from news/journal article content and other data by correctly citing
sources in-text throughout presentation/task answers and providing a full reference list at the end.
| 種類 (Kind) | 割合 (%) | 基準 (Criteria) |
|---|---|---|
| 平常点 (In-class Points) | 100 |
Attendance: Well-read & active participation(30%) Assignments: HW & task answers shared in-class(30%) Mid-term test on readings (closed-book, handwritten)(20%) Final presentation(20%) |
| 備考 (Notes) | ||
| The final grade is determined by calculating a cumulative score of each student’s completion of the various assessments. There are no make up options for missed classes, missed tests, or missed deadlines for assignments, except in university-sanctioned documented circumstances. | ||
| その他 (Others) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Materials will be provided by the instructor in-class or via Canvas. All provided materials are only to be used for the purpose of this class. 2. Designated news media and academic sources for this course: The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/), NPR (https://www.npr.org/), The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/), and The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/) for news articles, and peer-reviewed English journal articles and books that are published by universities or academic publishing companies. |
| その他 (Others) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading materials will be provided by the instructor. |
1. Students are expected to read, comprehend, and utilize academic literature in English. Thus, advanced or close to advanced English reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities are required for this course.
2. Students also need to be able to independently prepare for their test and execute a research project for their final presentation. Thus, students are expected to be familiar with academic research, writing, and presentation skills, which will not be taught in this course.
3. Students need to check the syllabus carefully for instructions and their Rikkyo account emails and Canvas announcements frequently for class updates.
4. Finally, students need to be able to use GoogleDocs/Sheets/Slides during class.
Students should bring a laptop/tablet with keyboard and writing tools to each class unless otherwise specified. Note-taking can be done by hand or with a laptop depending on student preference, but in-class task answers require a laptop/tablet to submit via GoogleDocs. All forms of unauthorized recording, photographing, or sharing of class material outside of this course, are strictly prohibited.
1. Schedule, off/online format, and syllabus content, such as assigned article titles, are subject to change.
2. Students need to be aware that answers/summaries produced by generative AI are not always factual or reliable. In this course, generative AI should only be used for tasks such as translating, copy-editing, or formatting citations. Unauthorized use of generative AI for classwork will result in grade deductions and any AI use for the purposes of this course needs to be declared.
3. Student are encouraged to freely exchange ideas and viewpoints in class; however, hate-speech, i.e., any kind of threatening or intimidating behavior and communication that uses misogynistic, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist language and otherwise pejorative or discriminatory expressions based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, nationality, etc., will not be tolerated.
It is recommended that the student’s English level is at or above
TOEFL iBT 80/4.5，IELTS 6.0, TOEIC L&R 700, or TOEIC L&R IP 700.