There is quite a difference in corporate culture between Japan and the US. Despite this, both countries have many companies that thrive in many sectors worldwide, the video game industry being one...Show moreThere is quite a difference in corporate culture between Japan and the US. Despite this, both countries have many companies that thrive in many sectors worldwide, the video game industry being one of them. This seems to imply that there are multiple paths to success when it comes to running a company, or are there perhaps other factors playing? This analysis will focus mainly on Nintendo and Valve, from Japan and the US respectively, as both exemplify the differences in corporate culture between the 2 countries and both have found great success as a company. Analyzing them will hopefully give a better understanding of the differences between the corporate culture of the 2 countries, as well as finding out whether their respective corporate cultures have contributed to their success.Show less
This thesis describes the comparative relationship between the yakuza and (Italian) mafia, and the movies that represent them. Special attention is given to the women within this groups, as they...Show moreThis thesis describes the comparative relationship between the yakuza and (Italian) mafia, and the movies that represent them. Special attention is given to the women within this groups, as they are often portrayed as passive and uninvolved. Both the movies and the literature confirm this marginalization of women, though for different reasons: the movies refer to the male audience of the movies, where strong women would not appeal to the main audience, while the literature refers to the male dominance of the crime world. Changes in the sex ratio of the crime world as well as the movies (that represent criminals) are, for now, a thing of the future.Show less
This paper provides the reader with a basic understanding of what `memory` entails and how political memory has developed in Japan. In particular, this paper focuses on how the Second World War is...Show moreThis paper provides the reader with a basic understanding of what `memory` entails and how political memory has developed in Japan. In particular, this paper focuses on how the Second World War is remembered by conservatives in Japan (primarily the LDP) and how their stance towards apologising is reflected in the annual Ceremony for the War Dead addresses from 2005 up until 2016. The methodology used to analyse these addresses is a derivative of Kiyoteru Tsutsui`s method which looked at changing stances/perspectives on Japan`s war legacy, of both liberals and conservatives in Japan, from 1950 up until 2014.Show less
This thesis discusses the comfort women legacy, women's rights movements in Korea, and how these phenomena have influenced each other over time since the Second World War. Through this assumed...Show moreThis thesis discusses the comfort women legacy, women's rights movements in Korea, and how these phenomena have influenced each other over time since the Second World War. Through this assumed correlation, the arguments presented in this thesis will fill a gap in the already existing literature surrounding these concepts.Show less
The past several decades have seen the rapid popularization of environmentalist movements. These movements have had a strong influence on popular entertainment, and have spawned a myriad of books,...Show moreThe past several decades have seen the rapid popularization of environmentalist movements. These movements have had a strong influence on popular entertainment, and have spawned a myriad of books, films and TV series.During the same time period the art of animation has also emerged as one of the most profitable media genres and as a powerful means for reaching millions of young children and their families. These representations of environmentalism have received attention from academia, however coverage of productions lying outside of the mainstream films from Disney, Pixar and the Japanese Studio Ghibli remains rather scarce. Furthermore, previous studies have primarily focused on the environmentalist discourse manifested in singular films, which does allow for an in-depth analysis of the work itself, but does not permit for more widely applicable conclusions to be drawn, such as through a comparative analysis of Western and Japanese animation.Thus the research question that this thesis attempts to provide an answer to is “how do approaches to environmentalist discourse in Japanese and non-Japanese animated films/television series compare to each other and what are the implications for the entertainment industry as a tool to disseminate such discourses?”For this purpose it analyses the contemporary state of environmentalism in the West and in Japan. Afterwards several case studies are performed and conclusions are reached that there are specific ways in which nature and environmentalist discourse are portrayed in the West and in Japan, and that they have significant implications for the industry.Show less
New Religious Movements in Japan are both inspired by and inspire the contents of Japanese works of fiction. This influence is notable in the fictional works of anime and manga in particular, which...Show moreNew Religious Movements in Japan are both inspired by and inspire the contents of Japanese works of fiction. This influence is notable in the fictional works of anime and manga in particular, which have always contained varying degrees of religious themes. Three new religions are discussed in this paper: Soka Gakkai, Aum Shinrikyo, and Kofuku no Kagaku. All of these religions have used manga as a tool for self-promotion, but have also indirectly been inspired by the medium itself. Two of the larger inspirations for the religions Aum Shinrikyo and Kofuku no Kagaku were the feature animation films Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Akira. This and other examples are used to create an image of the interconnected web that links these religious movements and anime and manga together.Show less
For centuries, Japan has shown its aptitude in selecting and accumulating certain preferential and beneficial aspects of foreign cultures and influences, with the purpose of enriching Japanese...Show moreFor centuries, Japan has shown its aptitude in selecting and accumulating certain preferential and beneficial aspects of foreign cultures and influences, with the purpose of enriching Japanese society. A big number of foreign cultural artefacts have managed to establish themselves as an inherent part of Japanese identity. One of the most intrinsic foreign influences on the Japanese culture is the introduction of the English language, which has found its place in many of the cultural domains, to the point of becoming an inherent part of them. As such, this thesis was able to analyse a brief selection of these. Firstly, the Japanese language is analysed to show how English has become a part of it, through loanwords and breaking taboos. Second, this paper examines the influence and usage of the English language in Japanese commercial media, with a focus on ornamentalism and storefronts. Lastly, Japanese cultural identity is researched through the case studies of both mixed race Japanese and Japanese subcultures. In the end, this paper is able to prove an inherentness of the English language in the Japanese language, Japanese commercial media and Japanese identity.Show less
This thesis explores whether and to what extends Chino’s kara-yamato binary structure in traditional Japanese art history can fit into Japanese art in modern time periods, and what would be the...Show moreThis thesis explores whether and to what extends Chino’s kara-yamato binary structure in traditional Japanese art history can fit into Japanese art in modern time periods, and what would be the reason behind. It does so by analysing different artworks in the Meiji period, the early Taisho period and the contemporary period, and applying Chino's structure onto these artworks. In doing so, it extends the context of the structure further and tries to discover if new understandings of the structure can be added to the academic debate. The result of the analysis suggests that whether or not Chino’s structure can be applied onto certain contexts highly depends on Japan’s view towards the West in that context. The structure can fit better in earlier periods, and does not fit in more modern periods. Such change in the applicability of Chino's structure is influenced by Japan's cultural relation with the West throughout its modern history. It suggests that Japan has moved from the status of seeing itself in the cultural periphery in relation to the West, to taking more proactive role to challenge social inequalities and (re)construct cultural identities.Show less
