Bridging Course, Spring 2014: Reading Assignments and other homework

Instructions for homework 1. (preparation for Class no. 2)

After you have thought about different ways of reading, please read Philip Sexton. (2012) Japan's Culture Industries: Cool or Cruel? University of British Columbia, Asian Pacific Memo. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/japans-culture-industries-cool-or-cruel.

(You do not need to look up the meaning of every word that you do not understand, but note words or phrases that you might use in your own writing and check that you know how to use them correctly.)

In class we will discuss the main idea and supporting points of this text, your opinion of the text, and how you read it. (How will this affect the way in which you read the text?)

Instructions for Homework 2. (preparation for Class no. 3)

Members of Group A should download and read the extracts from the 2003 edition of Globalization: A Very Short Introduction and download and answer the questions for that edition; members of Group B should download and read the extracts from the 2009 edition and download and answer the questions for that edition; members of Group C should download and read the extracts from the 2013 edition and download and answer the questions for that edition.

(The parts in brackets indicate the paragraphs that you are responsible for.)

Instructions for homework 3. (preparation for Class no. 4)
Members of Group 1 should scan the extracts from the 2003 edition of Globalization: A Very Short Introduction in order to find the differences with the edition that they read first. They should then note the differences and think why the author made these changes. Members of Group 2 should do the same with the 2009 edition, and members of Group 3 should do the same with the extracts from the 2013 edition. Should anything else have been changed?

You should also revise your notes from Class no. 3 so that you can give a clear account of the main points of a) your original edition and b) the other ideas that you exchanged with the other members of your group on that day.

Instructions for Homework 4 (preparation for Class no. 5) [For clarification of the presentation tasks and the term paper, see below.]

In class, we will discuss how the points that Steger makes in the chapter about cultural globalization apply to Japan, and any other country where you have lived. In order to prepare, you will probably need to do some research. You should also make notes about ideas and evidence that you wish to share. In order to make sure that certain topics are covered, I will assign them to groups. Some research will be needed. Groups members can organize and share the research work if they wish. (Of course, you are free to consider other aspects that interest you as well.)

(Notes:
1. If you print something from the internet in order to use it in a discussion, you must work out how you will use it. You cannot just read the page out loud. You must be able to explain the important points in your own words. This requires preparation.
2. When you make notes, do not write whole sentences. Just write information and ideas, and perhaps vocabulary that you wish to use.)

Group W: Please focus on a) the viewpoints of "pessimistic hyperglobalists" and "sceptics" as well as those who combine all three views; and b) the way in which globalization has affected media ownership in Japan and the other country/countries where you have lived.
Group X: Please focus on a) the viewpoints of "pessimistic hyperglobalists" and "sceptics" as well as those who combine all three views; and b) the way in which globalization has affected television news programs and journalism in Japan and the other country/countries where you have lived. (Focus on the points that Steger makes. You should be able to view TV news from other countries online.)
Group Z: Please focus on a) the viewpoints of "optimistic hyperglobalists" and "sceptics" as well as those who combine all three views; and b) the way in which globalization has affected the coverage of the news in Japan and the other country/countries where you have lived. Which parts of the world are most visible in the news? Which are almost invisible? (Watch some TV news bulletins and have a look at some newspapers, either paper ones or online editions. You should be able to view TV news bulletings from other countries online.))
Group Z: Please focus on a) the viewpoints of "optimistic hyperglobalists" and "sceptics" as well as those who combine all three views; and b) the way in which globalization has affected language in Japan and the other country/countries where you have lived. (The chapter focusses on the number of languages, but aren't there other ways in which languages are affected by globalization? For example, what about vocabulary?)

Clarification of the presentation and term paper tasks.
1. Writing 1 is not linked to Presentation 1, or to the term paper and final presentation. (However, if you really want to give your first presentation about something linked to Philip Seaton's memo, I suppose this is OK. It must not be identical in content to Writing 1.
2. Your final presentation will have the same content as your term paper. In other words, in your final presentation you will be explaining your term paper to the rest of the class. In real life, there will probably often be occasions when you will do a presentation about a written report, or turn a presentation into a written report later, so this is probably useful practice. However, there will probably be some differences between the way in which you explain your ideas in the two formats...
3. The topic of Presentation 1 will therefore not be exactly the same as the topic of your term paper. However, it can be closely linked. In other words, you can use Presentation 1 to prepare us for the final presentation, for example, by explaining the background.
Therefore, you can plan Presentation 1 completely separately from the final presentation and term paper. Alternatively, if you want to link them, you can plan them together...

I hope this is clearer. If not, please do not hesitate to mail me...

Instructions for Homework 5

At last we are starting the textbook!

After gaining a general familiarity with the contents and layout of the book as a whole, please read the Introduction and Chapter 1. Download the questions from 授業支援. (Is it useful to have questions? Would you like to make questions for other groups/and answer questions from other groups instead of always responding to my questions?) Remember that it is a good idea to skim the whole of a chapter, or section of a chapter, before you start careful reading as this will help you to anticipate the content.

Is it a good idea to split the responsibilities for individual paragraphs? Even if this does not allow you to experiment with different types of reading, I would like students to do some quick research into the names, titles etc. that are mentioned, and this will certainly be easier to do if responsibility for paragraphs is divided. Have a look at the illustrations as well, and think about why Tsutsui chose them and whether you agree with his choices.

Anyway, here are the groups for this homework:

Homework 6

I would like you to read Douglas McGray, "Japan's gross national cool", which appeared in Foreign Policy in May 2002. This is an influential article that Tsutsui refers to in both the Introduction and in Chapter 5, so it is probably worth reading. You may need to register in order to read the article. This will involve giving an e-mail address and a password, but you do not need to pay any money. If you have difficulty in accessing the article, please tell me, and I will either send you a version that I have downloaded, or upload this on.授業支援.

The article should not be too difficult to understand, but since it is a bit long, I will divide up responsibility as follows:

Everyone should read the introduction and the final section ("All medium, no message?") and have a quick look through the rest of the piece. Look for the main idea and supporting points. Think about the strength of his arguments and whether or not you agree. He wrote this twelve years ago. Is the situation still pretty much the same, or has it changed? (How has it changed?)
Ai, Tatsuro, Yuto and Asami should read "The Pokemon hegemon", again looking for the main idea and supporting points, and thinking about the strength of his arguments, your opinion etc.
Ayumi, Nami and the two Naokis should read "Japan's postmodern pop", again looking for the main idea and supporting points, and thinking about the strength of his arguments, your opinion etc.
Yugo, Takeshi, Hibiki and Risa should read "Meet Hello Kitty, Davos cat" and "Youth with a yen for technology", again looking for the main idea and supporting points, and thinking about the strength of his arguments, your opinion etc.
Kosuke, Shinya, Jun and Riko should read "Why 600 lb. wrestlers don't travel", again looking for the main idea and supporting points, and thinking about the strength of his arguments, your opinion etc.

Homework 7

The idea is to obtain and then share background knowledge and understanding of some of the points about the global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West" (Europe + the United States) referred to in Chapter 1 of the textbook.

I would like to divide you (once again!) into four groups:
Group 1 should focus on Japanese popular culture in the Edo period. The members are Nami, Ayumi, Shinya, Jun and Riko.
Shinya should go to a museum that has exhibits related to Japanese popular culture, such as the 江戸東京博物館, before Wednesday (see the instructions below).
The other five should go to a museum of this type before next Wednesday (Class No. 10). In preparation for Class No. 8, the other five should each find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces Edo popular culture to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. Please look at the instructions below as well.
Group 2 should focus on ukiyoe during and after the Edo period. The members are Tatsuro, Yuto, Naoki, Lisa, Hibiki and Takeshi.
Tatsuro, Yuto, Lisa, Hibiki and Takeshi should go to a museum that is displaying ukiyoe, for example the special exhibition at the 横浜美術館, or the permanent exhibit at the 東京国立博物館 (if possible, also look at the special exhibition that includes the famous 風神雷神図屏風), before Wednesday (see the instructions below).
Naoki should go to a museum of this type before next Wednesday (Class No. 10). In preparation for Class No. 8, Naoki should find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces ukiyoe to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. Please look at the instructions below as well.
Group 3 should look at non-Japanese influences on Japanese art/culture in the Meiji period onwards (Western-style painting and Nihonga). The members are Asami and Naoki H.
Before next Wednesday (Class no. 10), they should go to a museum that is displaying Japanese art/culture from the Meiji period onwards, for example the 東京国立博物館 (if possible, also look at the special exhibition that includes the famous 風神雷神図屏風). In preparation for Class no. 8, they should find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces ukiyoe to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. (A tip for searching: try the following key words: Japanese art Meji; Japanese art Taisho; Japanese art prewar; Japanese art postwar, etc..) Please look at the instructions below as well.
Group 4 should focus on Japanese influences on Western art, specifically the impressionist movement. The members are Ai, Yugo and Kosuke.
Yugo and Kosuke should go to a museum that displays impressionist paintings before Wednesday's class. At the moment, 国立新美術館 has a special exhibition on early impressionism. I hope that this will include something on Japanese influences. The 国立西洋美術館 has impressionist paintings as well as other examples of Western art. If you already have some familiarity with impressionism, you might be interested in this exhibition about Japonisme at 汐留ミュージアム. (See the instructions below
Ai should go to a museum of this type before next Wednesday (Class No. 10). In preparation for Class no. 8, she should find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces impressionism to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren, and helps them to understand the links between impressionism and Japanese art. Please look at the instructions below as well.

(At 三井記念美術館, there is also an interesting exhibtion of the sort of "Japanese" artworks that were being made for export in the Meiji period.)

General instructions for the visits to museums:
Please visit a museum that has a collection relevant to your group. Before you go to the museum, reread the relevant part of the chapter, and think about what you expect to see. (You could also do some preliminary internet research.) As you look at the exhibits, think (of course) about what appeals to you and why, but also think about the artist and his or her intentions/the intended audience (and the unintended audience)/the colour/design etc., and the relevance of the exhibit to the global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West". Buy at least one postcard of an exhibit that interested you and be prepared to talk about this exhibit, and your response to the exhibits as a whole.
General instructions for the websites homework.
a) Why do you think that the site is "reliable"? (Who is responsible, when was it last updated, how is it designed etc.?) For more advice on finding "reliable" websites, see this page, from Cornell University Library. Please be ready to explain why it is "reliable".
b) Whaｔ are the strong and weak aspects of the site ? Please be ready to describe the site to the other students in your group, with particular relevance to its strong/weak points from a) the point of view of a non-Japanese trying to find out about Japan, and b) from the point of view of the "global image" of Japan. What does the site contribute to a) understanding of the global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West" in the past, and b) to the actual global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West" that is occurring now?

Homework 8
1. Writing 1: Make sure that you can read my writing and understand my comments. If you need help, please mail me! The rewrite is due in Class no. 11.
2. Continue with Chapter 2 of the textbook. As well as thinking about your own opinion, pay careful attention to what Tsutsui gives as other people's opinions and what he gives as his own opinions.
3. Those who did not go to museums last week should go to museums before Class no. 10. See the instructions for last week. Of course, you have already heard about the experiences of group members who have already been. You could visit a different museum. If you visit the same museum, you might be able to use what you already know in order to go a little deeper. Is there anything you notice that they did not? Does gender, or some other factor, mean that your experience is different? (For example, do males and females respond to representations of men and women in different ways?)
Those who went to museums last week should find and examine "reliable" English-language websites that introduce contemporary Japanese popular culture to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. (By "contemporary" I mean roughly late 20th/early 21st century.) See the instructions for last week for guidelines. Shinya, Tatsuro, Yuto and Naoki should focus on manga, and Lisa, Hibiki, Takeshi, Yugo and Kosuke should focus on anime.

Homework 9 THIS HOMEWORK HAS BEEN CANCELLED, BUT YOU COULD DO THIS AS YOUR PRESENTATION
EITHER A: Choose one of the sources of Japanese pop imagination mentioned in the chapter, or an alternative source that you think is important. Find one, or more, examples of Japanese popular culture that show evidence of the importance of that source. Bring an image that shows this evidence to class, and be ready to explain why you chose this particular example of Japanese popular culture, and what it shows.
OR B: Take one of more of your favorite items of Japanese popular culture and decide whether it is/they are related to any of the sources of Japanese pop imagination mentioned in the chapter. If not, what source(s) might there be? Bring an image/images that show evidence of your ideas to class, and be ready to justify your interpretations.

Homework 10

Japanorama is the title of a set of documentaries about Japan that focussed on Japanese popular culture. They were broadcasted by the BBC (the British equivalent of NHK) and appeared in three series, in 2002, 2006 and 2007. The presenter was a British media celebrity called Jonathan Ross. Many of the documentaries are available on YouTube and last about 30 minutes each. The programmes are obviously relevant to the global reception of Japanese popular culture, and to issues raised in the textbook.

I would like you to choose one of the episodes that is available on YouTube to watch. There is a list here, but you may be able to find others. A brief guide to the content of each documentary is given in the Wikipedia entry for Japanorama.

The documentaries can be watched and understood in various ways. Most obviously, they can be watched as a source of information about Japan and Japanese popular culture. However, of course, we can ask about the intentions of the people who made the documentaries. What was their purpose in making the programmes? Why did they choose to focus on some elements of Japanese popular culture rather than others? We can also speculate about how the British viewers of the documentaries responded to them. (You could also look at the comments written by YouTube viewers.) As Japanese, you might want to think about whether or not this is the way in which you want Japan to be represented.

As you watch, please think of the issues that I have raised above, including the relevance to the textbook. Be ready to give a brief description of the documentary that you choose. List the titles of the anime and other subjects covered. If you know anything about them, decide your opinion of the way in which they are dealt with in the documentary. Who is interviewed? What do you think about the quality of the questions, and the quality of the dubbing, if dubbing is used? and so on

If you have difficulty in viewing the documentaries, or in understanding them, please mail me.

Homework 11

I Sample summary of pp. 41-43 of the textbook (Your summary of the section on "A World of Fans" is due on Wednesday.)

Outline
1. Iwabuchi has two explanations for the global appeal of Japanese products, particularly in Asia.
A. Media products present Western media content in a form that has been adapted to Asian tastes.
B. Overall, unlike American products, it is not because they are seen to be Japanese. In fact, Japanese exports are more likely to be successful if markers of their Japanese identity have been removed.

2. His theories can be used to explain the global success of products such as Hello Kitty, which seems to have no cultural markers, and the failure of strongly Japanese products such as the Tora-san series, Japanese professional wrestling, and pachinko.
A. In the case of products such as Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh!, it is also necessary to examine the role of marketing in overseas success.

3. However, the idea that Japanese pop culture has a global appeal because of the absence of cultural markers has been challenged.
A. Susan Napier has shown that people who love anime and manga are also likely to have positive attitudes to other aspects of Japanese culture.
B. The appeal of Japanese popular culture, at least in the bubble years, was probably linked to the idea of Japan as a future economic and technological leader

In writing the summary, note how I changed the order slightly, to make it more logical and added some transition words
Summary

According to Tsutsui in the section entitled "The Smell of Pop" (2010, pp. 41-43), Iwabuchi has two explanations for the global appeal of Japanese products. Overall, unlike American products, it is not because they are seen to be Japanese. In fact, Japanese exports are more likely to be successful if markers of their Japanese identity have been removed. Second, in the case of Asia, the suggestion is that Japanese media products present Western media content in a form that has been adapted to Asian tastes. His theories can certainly be used to explain the global success of products such as Hello Kitty, which seems to have no cultural markers, as opposed to the failure of strongly Japanese products such as the Tora-san series, Japanese professional wrestling, and pachinko. However, with products such as Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh!, it is necessary to examine the role of marketing in overseas success. Tsutsui also notes that Iwabuchi's idea about the absence of cultural makers in Japanese pop products has been challenged. He refers to Susan Napier's demonstration that people who love anime and manga are also likely to have positive attitudes to other aspects of Japanese culture. In addition he suggests that the appeal of Japanese popular culture, at least in the bubble years, was probably linked to the idea of Japan as a future economic and technological leader.
(Nine sentences for four paragraphs...)

Jun mailed to ask why I had not included the last sentence. I initially left it out because I thought that it was a concluding remark and did not add anything significant. Tsutsui's recognition of Iwabuchi's contribution is already given in sentence 5. However, it would also have been possible to write the summary in this way:

In the section on "The Smell of Pop" (2010, pp. 41-43), Tsutui describes the contribution of Iwabuchi Koichi to understanding of the globalization of Japanese popular culture and the possible reasons behind its wide appeal. According to Tsutsui, Iwabuchi has two explanations for the latter. Overall, unlike American products, it is not because Japanese pop products are seen to be Japanese. In fact, Japanese pop exports are more likely to be successful if markers of their Japanese identity have been removed. Second, in the case of Asia, the suggestion is that Japanese media products present Western media content in a form that has been adapted to Asian tastes. His theories can certainly be used to explain the global success of products such as Hello Kitty, which seems to have no cultural markers, as opposed to the failure of strongly Japanese products such as the Tora-san series, Japanese professional wrestling, and pachinko. However, with products such as Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh!, it is necessary to examine the role of marketing in overseas success. Tsutsui also notes that Iwabuchi's idea about the absence of cultural makers in Japanese pop products has been challenged. He refers to Susan Napier's demonstration that people who love anime and manga are also likely to have positive attitudes to other aspects of Japanese culture. In addition he suggests that the appeal of Japanese popular culture, at least in the bubble years, was probably linked to the idea of Japan as a future economic and technological leader.

 "In the section on...Tsutsui describes the contribution of Iwabuchi Koichi
 to understanding of the globalization of Japanese popular culture and possible reasons for its appeal. According to Tsutsui
, Iwabuchi has two explanations for the latter..."

II. Links related to Chapter 5. Please consider these as evidence for pp. 48-54. (You might also want to revisit Japanorama.)

Japanese originals and American remakes. (If you can give me links for reverse examples, please do so.)
Japanese trailer for 『ゴジラ』
American trailer for Godizlla: King of the Monsters

trailer for 『七人の侍』
trailer for The Magnificent Seven

Dubbed versions of Japanese TV shows (Is there anything similar to this on Japanese TV?)
MXC (Most Extreme Challenge) as dubbed for the U.S. market
Iron Chef as dubbed for the U.S. market
Sushi TV (French version)
I survived a Japanese game show

American films set in Japan
You do not have to watch these unless you are interested:
The Geisha Boy (1958) (This link gives a page with links to both the full version and a trailer.)
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956) (Again, gives links to both the full version and a trailer.) This is not mentioned by Tsutsui, but I myself prefer it as a film.
As well as Lost in Translation, there is also Black Rain (1989). You might also be interested in Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence 『戦場のメリークリスマス』(1983), a joint Japanese-British film.

Tsutsui does not mention James Clavell's novel Shogun, published in 1975 and made into a TV series in 1980. This bestselling novel that drew its inspiration from the life of William Adams (三浦按針）aroused interested in Japan and in Japanese studies. A book, Learning from Shogun, was even published so that interest in the novel (not the TV series) could be used as a way to stimulate serious study of Japanese history. I suspect that there was some connection between the popularity of Shogun and openness to popular Japanese culture in the U.S. in the 1980s, but I do not have any proof.

Homework 12 (I will upload my version of the summary homework to 授業支援 as soon as possible, definitely by late on Thursday.)
As I said in the class, before we begin the last chapter, I think it would be helpful to know something more about the structure and economic situation of the Japanese pop culture industry. The Jetro report that I want you to read is dated 2005 and therefore rather old, but a) there were no more recent Jetro reports in English, and b) the report refers to the late 20th/early 21st century period that Tsutsui and his sources focus on. The report is only about the animation industry, but I assume that this is the most lucrative sector of the pop culture industry. (Am I wrong?) Dentsu produces an annual Information Media White Paper which would give more up-to-date information, but it is not in the Keio library. The Japanese-language original is available, however, if you want to pursue this topic (see below). (Dentsu also appears to be involved in marketing Japanese pop culture products. For example, see here.)

Anyway, please download the "Japan Animation Industry Trends" report from 授業支援. In class, we will discuss the meaning and significance of the report. Make notes of what you read so that you can explain it to other people as well as discuss it. If possible, we will also look at what has been happening since 2004.

I would like everyone to read 1. "Market Overview".
A Risa, Naoki H., and Nami, please also read 2. "Shifting Market Size".
B Naoki K., Asami and Hibiki, please also read 3. "Industry Structure".
C Kosuke, Yugo and Takeshi, please also read 4. "Product Trends".
D Ayumi, Shinya, and Yuto, please also read 5. "Import and Export Trends"
E Jun, Ai and Riko, please also read 6 "Industry Topics".
Since C's 2nd reading passage is relatively short, I would also like them to update Figure 1. Since E's 2nd reading passage is also relatively short, I would like them to update Figure 8. Jetro's Japanese-language site or Dentsu's annual 『情報メディア白書』 (in the Hiyoshi library) will probably have this information, but if it is very hard to obtain, please tell me.

Homework 13

As I said, I would like you to compare the "cultural face" that Japan and Britain present to the world.

Please look at the main website of the British Council, and its Japan website. (The Japan link will take you to the English page, but of course there is also a Japanese version.)
There is an interesting report on the British Council site that compares the representation of cultural agencies of various countries in different parts of the world. This page gives access to the report itself, the infographics that belong to the report, and a verbal presentation of the report by the author. Again, there are references to the concept of "soft power".
Here is the main website of the Japan Foundation (again the English version), and its UK website.

Please look at the websites of both organisations. Are their goals similar? How is the Japan Foundation trying to appeal to people in the UK, and how is the British Council trying to appeal to people in Japan? One aspect of their activities is clearly language learning, but what else is going on? Is there a clear attempt to present a positive view? Are any references made to controversial issues. In the case of Japan, one controversial issue would probably be whaling. In the case of Britain it might be race relations or safety from crime.


I would really like everyone to look at both organizations at least brief, but I will divide you into four so that everyone has a particular responsibility for one site. In the class, I will expect you to bring your findings together in new groups. Please think of questions to ask people who mainly investigated sites different from yours.

General British Council site: Risa, Naoki K., Kosuke, Ayumi
Japanese branch of the British Council: Jun, Naoki H., Asami, Yugo

General Japan Foundation site: Shinya, Riko, Nami, Ai
London branch of the Japan Foundation: Hibiki, Takeshi, Yuto

(I will put the presentations schedule on the website on Monday. There will be a link from the top page. Each presentation shouldbe no more than eight minutes, and no leass than six minutes.)