JAP2501 - Japanese Popular Culture
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Course content
This course will historically trace and thematically analyze the various expressions of modern and contemporary Japanese popular culture. The prewar and postwar parts will mainly deal with Japanese film, which until the 1960s was one of the world’s most vibrant and largest cinemas. The contemporary part will deal with issues such as Japanese culture and globalization, transnational connections in East Asia, and media culture beyond soft power and brand nationalism. This part will also deal with other increasingly influential exponents of J-culture, such as animation, manga, computer games, television and music.
Learning outcomes
This course will provide insight in the roots and various expressions of Japanese popular culture. This year's course will focus on film and students will be acquainted with the style and themes of the major authors and genres of Japanese cinema. The students will also be introduced to contemporary issues concerning the diffusion of Japanese popular culture, mainly in the form of animation, manga, television and music. By preparing and writing a paper they will learn to analyze by themselves the work of an author - in the field of film, anime, manga, etc. - or an overlapping theme or characteristic of Japanese popular culture.
Admission
Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.
International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.
Prerequisites
Recommended prior knowledge
The course requires good knowledge of English.
The courses JAP1501 - Japan's politics and society and JAP1503 - Japans historie provide helpful background information. Courses in film and media studies are also recommended.
Teaching
Teaching is in the form of lectures. It is obligatory to attend at least 80 per cent of the classes. The number of students regrettably does not allow for presentations. However, active participation, in the form of questions and discussion on the basis of the class content and the texts prepared in advance, is required.
Most classes will be followed by the screening of a related film. This exceptional service is part of the course and the students are supposed to attend these screenings.
The course also requires the handing in of an obligatory qualifying assignment (= an outline of the essay, see "Exam information").
The qualifying assignment must be approved by the teacher in order to sit for the exam.
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain information as to whether or not the qualifying assignment is approved.
An approved qualifying assignment is only valid for ONE semester.
See Guidelines for obligatory instructional activity at IKOS
Teaching takes place throughout the semester.
Criteria for access to teaching resources
A student who has completed compulsory instruction, is not entitled to repeat that instruction. A student who has been admitted to the course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction, is entitled to repeat that instruction, contingent on available capacity.
Exam information
Students are required to write an essay (of 8-10 normal pages) on a topic chosen in cooperation with the teacher, in the field of Japanese popular culture.
The students have to hand in an outline of the essay they plan to write, including a list of sources, in order to be qualified for the essay exam. This obligatory assignment is graded 'pass' or 'fail', in the latter case implying that the student is not qualified to write the essay and thus has failed the course (see "Teaching" for more information).
The essay will be graded A-F.
The term paper is to be submitted in Fronter within a given deadline. Along with the term paper, the student must hand in an Obligatory statement regarding cheating.
Language of examination
English
Assessment and grading
Course grades are awarded on a descending scale using alphabetic grades from A to E for passes and F for fail. Read more about the grading system .
An external auditor regularly evaluates the academic quality of the course, including the form of exam used on the course.
Explanations and appeals
Students can request an explanation of their grades, and can also appeal against their grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals
Possibility of make-up exams and re-takes
You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam .
Withdrawing from exams and limits on re-takes
A student can sit for this exam up to 3 times. If a student wishes to withdraw from the exam, s/he must do this in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the first day of the exam. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit for the exam.
Exam options for students with special needs
Students may apply for access to alternative exam resources or exam forms on the basis of chronic illness and/or special needs that create a marked disadvantage to other students in the exam situation. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.
Evaluation of this course
Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. As a student at the University of Oslo you will therefore be asked to participate in various types of evaluation of our courses, facilities and services. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, in-depth evaluation of this course, a so called "periodic evaluation".
Contact us
Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages
Visiting address:
P.A. Munchs hus level 4
Visiting hours:
Mon-Fri: 12:30 - 15:00
Postal address:
PO Box 1010 Blindern
N-0315 Oslo
Fax: 22 85 48 28
E-mail: henvendelser@ikos.uio.no
Web: http://www.hf.uio.no/ikos/