Drawing on the key genres of Japanese modern and contemporary cultural production – manga, anime, film and visual arts – Japanese Popular Culture introduces students to the cultural narratives of post-war Japan and examines how the traditions and cultural roots of the past continue to influence cultural behavior and production today. Approaching these visual texts from a variety of socio-cultural, psychological and literary perspectives, the course will examine how meanings are produced in image and text and how these visual representations construct identities and present such social issues as gender, youth culture, the individual, the family and the community.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate a solid understanding of the defining characteristics of Japanese visual culture, and of how the traditions and cultural roots of the past continue to influence cultural behaviour and practice today;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical paradigms that apply to cultural studies and an ability to draw on this theoretical and cultural knowledge to analyse primary materials
3. Develop a variety of analytic, research and communicative skills; information gathering and evaluation, academic writing, debating, discussion leading and presentation skills;
4. Develop the ability to work in cooperative groups on key issues in the field of Japanese cultural studies and to communicate findings to others.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Definitions of ‘Popular Culture’: Tastes of Japan Pop Culture Import/Export - Samurai, Monkey & Pokemon Thurs 25 July Seminar (W1) Mon 29 July Tutorial (W2)	Vodcast 1: Cultural Import/Export - Samurai, Monkey & Pokemon Tutorial Reading Response 1
2	Tezuka Osamu & Miyazaki Hayao – Kings of Story Manga/Anime Thurs 1 Aug Seminar (W2) Mon 5 Aug Tutorial (W3)	Vodcast 2: Cultural Import/Export - Samurai, Monkey & Pokemon Tutorial Reading Response 2
3	Apocalypse & Rebirth & Legacies of Defeat The Grave of Fireflies, Akira & Parasyte (Manga, Anime and Film) Thurs 8 Aug Seminar (W3) Mon 12 Aug Tutorial (W4)	Vodcast 3: Apocalypse & Rebirth & Legacies of Defeat Tutorial Reading Response 3
4	Identity and Otherness – Echoes of Edo Hokusai, Murakami Takashi, Kusuma Yayoi and Summer Wars Thurs 15 Aug Seminar (W4) Mon 19 Aug Tutorial (W5)	Vodcast 4: Apocalypse & Rebirth & Legacies of Defeat Tutorial Reading Response 4
5	Cultural Response to Disaster Earthquakes & Tsunami & Cultural Consciousness Thurs 22 Aug Seminar (W5) Mon 26 Aug Tutorial (W6)	Vodcast 5: Apocalypse & Rebirth & Legacies of Defeat Tutorial Reading Response 5
6	Images of Contemporary Japan - Photography & Visual Arts Yanagi Miwa, Ninagawa Mika, Shibata Toshio & Araki Nobuyoshi Thurs 29 Aug Seminar (W6)	2 September OP ED DUE
7	Youth, Angst & Rebellion Cruel Story of Youth (1960), Death Note (2003) and Battle Royale (2000) and more Thurs 19 Sept Seminar (W7) Mon 23 Sept Tutorial (W8)	Vodcast 7: Youth, Angst and Rebellion Tutorial Reading Response 7
8	Minority expression & Concepts of Kegare Issues of minority identity in contemporary Japan. Thurs 19 Sept Seminar (W7) Mon 23 Sept Tutorial (W8)	Vodcast 8: Minority expression & Concepts of Kegare Tutorial Reading Response 8
9	Gender Issues: Girl Power & Shojo Manga – traditions and trends Ikeda Riyoko's The Rose of Versailles (1972), Takeuchi Naoko's Sailor Moon (1991), Nakashima Tetsuya's Kamikaze Girls (2004) to more contemporary works Thurs 3 Oct Seminar (W9) Mon 5 Oct Tutorial (W10)	4 Oct: Essay Outline & Primary Source Review Due (Return 11 Oct) Vodcast 9: Girl Power & Shojo Manga Tutorial Reading Response 9
10	Gender Issues: Masculinity & Shonen Manga – traditions and trends Samurai, Heros, Mateship: Mizuki Shigeru A History of Japan, One Piece, Inuyasha, Naruto and more Thurs 10 Oct Seminar (W10) Mon 14 Oct Tutorial (W11)	Vodcast 10: Masculinity & Shonen Manga Tutorial Reading Response 10
11	Sport & Popular Culture From Sumo and Traditional Martial Arts to 2019 Rugby World Cup & 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the Popular Imagination Thurs 17 Oct Seminar (W11) Mon 21 Oct Tutorial (W12)	18 Oct Final Essay Due (Return 30 Oct) 20 Oct Final Essay Vodcast Due (Return 30 Oct)
12	Culture, Context and Connections Cultural Fusion, Food, Cosplay, Character and Fashion Reflecting on the impact of Cultural Studies Thurs 24 Oct Seminar (W12)	Essay Vodcast Presentation and Q&A

Tutorial Registration

See Wattle to sign up

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
TWO Tutorial Reading Responses	15 %	29/08/2019	21/10/2019	1,2,3
Two Tutorial Vodcasts	15 %	29/08/2019	21/10/2019	1,2,3,4
Media Opinion Piece	25 %	02/09/2019	16/09/2019	1,2,3
Essay Outline & Primary Source Analysis	15 %	04/10/2019	11/10/2019	1,2,3
Final Essay	25 %	18/10/2019	30/10/2019	1,2,3,4
Participation and In-Class Final Essay Vodcast Presentation	5 %	22/07/2019	24/10/2019	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

TWO Tutorial Reading Responses

Tutorial Reading Responses  - 7.5% each (1, 2, 3)

The tutorial reading responses are 600-800 word responses to ONE of the week’s questions.

Responses should include quotes from the week’s primary source(s) - not included in the word count.

The goal of this assessment task is to encourage each student to develop their writing skills and to engage critically with the weekly readings, summarise the arguments presented and provide an analysis of how the readings help when analysing the primary sources for the week.

Students may choose which tutorial reading responses to submit - however 1 must be submitted by the end of Week 6.

More than two responses can be submitted and then the best two marks will be selected.

Refer to Wattle for more details.

Assessment Task 2

Two Tutorial Vodcasts

Vodcasts - 7.5% each  (1, 2, 3, 4)

Due by 11:55 pm the night before the Monday tutorials!

Starting from Week 2, each tutorial will begin with a broadcast of a number of student VODCASTS.

The goal of this assessment task is to encourage each student to develop presentation and critical thinking skills.

Students may choose which tutorial reading responses to submit - however 1 must be submitted by the end of Week 6. 

Refer to Wattle for more details.

Assessment Task 3

Media Opinion Piece

OpEd - 25% (1, 2, 3)

Word length: 800 words

Due: 2 September by 11:55 pm

The goal of this task is to encourage students to write a persuasive opinion piece on a hot topic – to explore a current, interesting or important issue, event, experience or idea associated with Japanese popular culture. 

High achievers in this task will be encourage to submit their piece to The Monsoon Project (https://themonsoonproject.org/)

Refer to the Task Sheet on Wattle.

Assessment Task 4

Essay Outline & Primary Source Analysis

Essay - 40%

• Essay Outline & Primary Source Analysis - 15% (1, 2, 3)
• Essay Final - 20%
• Essay Presentation - 5%

Step 1: Essay Outline & Primary Source Analysis -15% (1, 2, 3)

• Due on 4 October (Friday) by 11:55 pm
• Word Count: 1500 words 
• Includes:
• Essay Goal
• One paragraph on the goals/aims of the essay
• Primary Source Review
• Primary Source Title(s)
• Brief content summary and discussion of how your will use the Primary Source(s) in your essay.
• Analysis of sections to be used in essay (including quotes and images if appropriate)
• Note that quotes are not included in the word count
• Annotated Bibliography
• 150 words on 4 secondary sources that will be useful for your essay.
• See ANU Academic Skills for a HOW TO WRITE … : Annotated Bibliography… 

Assessment Task 5

Final Essay

Essay - 40%

• Essay Outline & Primary Source Analysis- 15% (1, 2, 3)
• Essay Final - 20%
• Essay Presentation - 5%

Step 2: Final Essay -20% (1, 2, 3)

• Due on 18 October (Friday) by 11:55 pm
• Word Count: 2500 words (excluding quotes)

Step 3: Week 12 Essay Vodcast Presentation (2-3 mins) - 5% (1, 2, 3, 4)

Due 20 October (Sunday) by 11:55 pm

• What was your question?
• Why did you want to examine this issue?
• What primary sources did you use?
• What were your interesting findings?

Assessment Task 6

Participation and In-Class Final Essay Vodcast Presentation

Participation - 5% (1, 2, 3, 4)

• Participation is an important part of the course and obviously you cannot participate unless you are present and so attendance will be taken in all classes.… 
• Active participation in tutorial and seminar discussion will be recorded.
• Participation will also include the following:
• Weekly Vodcast Forum Commentary
• Following the tutorial discussion each student must post a weekly comment (within their tutorial's discussion forum)
• Comments must include commentary about the idea and argument
• Final Essay Vodcast Presentation
• During Week 12, students will be present their essay findings as a vodcast in class and post to their tutorial forum.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 5 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students