College of Image Arts and Sciences Summer Program

This program in Kyoto is run in collaboration with our College of Image Arts and Sciences with a focus on Japanese pop culture. This program was created based on the success of our ongoing Summer Japanese Program. Students attend lectures on Japanese pop culture, including film, manga, video games, and more, and have the rare opportunity visit locations related to Japanese pop culture, such as the Kyoto International Manga Museum, the high school where the famous manga & anime “K-On!” is based, and a samurai-themed film studio/theme park where many period dramas are produced.

This course overviews the birth, the present and the future prospects for Japanese pop culture. It focuses in particular on those elements of Japanese pop culture that have had a substantial influence globally: manga, anime, computer games, and the character business. The course will look at the uniqueness of the culture and its impact on the world while also studying the connections with traditional Japanese culture as well as Japanese culture more broadly speaking.

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