Shinzo Abe is portrayed by literature to be someone who actively tries to curtail press freedom in Japan. This thesis posits that Abe's actions regarding press freedom in Japan do not constitute an...Show moreShinzo Abe is portrayed by literature to be someone who actively tries to curtail press freedom in Japan. This thesis posits that Abe's actions regarding press freedom in Japan do not constitute an attack on press freedom. It does so by reviewing the existing literature and considering whether the examples given by the literature ought to be considered as attacks. Afterwards, the thesis examines the modern day Japanese press through the lens of social responsibility-theory and concludes that the Japanese press system works in line with the expectations of the theory. As such, Japanese press freedom should be considered to be in working order.Show less
Slechts een minderheid van Japanse vaders nemen vaderschapsverlof op na de geboorte van hun kind. Maar door onderzoek te doen naar deze minderheid kan de waarde van vaderschapsverlof ontdekt worden...Show moreSlechts een minderheid van Japanse vaders nemen vaderschapsverlof op na de geboorte van hun kind. Maar door onderzoek te doen naar deze minderheid kan de waarde van vaderschapsverlof ontdekt worden. In deze scriptie wordt doormiddel van een blog analyse gekeken naar de redenen waarom vaders in Japan langdurig vaderschapsverlof opnemen en de veranderingen die de vaders meemaken tijdens deze verlofperiode. Hiermee belicht deze scriptie de effectiviteit van langdurig vaderschapsverlof op de gezinsband en work-life balance van de ouders.Show less
In this paper the author looks at the media perspective of American newspapers after the Second World War on Japan and Germany and whether these perspectives differed. The hypothesis is that there...Show moreIn this paper the author looks at the media perspective of American newspapers after the Second World War on Japan and Germany and whether these perspectives differed. The hypothesis is that there will be a racial difference in the portrayal of these countries.Show less
Anti-terrorism policy in Japan: Combating a nonexistent threat is a thesis analysing and interpreting Japanese policy in relation to anti-terrorism. By using the methodology of securitization, this...Show moreAnti-terrorism policy in Japan: Combating a nonexistent threat is a thesis analysing and interpreting Japanese policy in relation to anti-terrorism. By using the methodology of securitization, this thesis attempts to answer the following question: "How have security policies of the Japanese Government changed since December 2012 in such a way that laws can be abused?". This is done by looking at Diet meetings (Japanese Parliament) as well as official correspondence between the Japanese Government and other (international) organizations. Lastly, it looks at tangible proof of law abuse.Show less
In dit werkstuk worden de uitingen van websites van de buraidaru gyokai (bruidsindustrie) onderzocht. Dit wordt gedaan aan de hand van het multimodale model van Pauwels. Daarnaast is er ook een...Show moreIn dit werkstuk worden de uitingen van websites van de buraidaru gyokai (bruidsindustrie) onderzocht. Dit wordt gedaan aan de hand van het multimodale model van Pauwels. Daarnaast is er ook een ennquête opgesteld waarin Japanse getrouwde vrouwen wordt gevraagd naar hun ervaringen met de bruidsindustrie.Show less
The reality of a shrinking labor market as the population is aging and birthrate is declining in Japan, is asking for more female participation. Changing economic demands and working conditions is...Show moreThe reality of a shrinking labor market as the population is aging and birthrate is declining in Japan, is asking for more female participation. Changing economic demands and working conditions is leading to an increasing number of double-income families. It is creating variety in the gender roles and contributing to a new order. A study of ten qualitative interviews was conducted to examine the working conditions and experiences of working mothers in Tokyo. The case study shows that working mothers are facing three main challenges when trying to find a work-life balance: (1) time management, (2) high responsibility of work within the household and (3) working culture that impacts career. The case study of this thesis gives an insightful assessment of policies, what they do and do not address. Analyzing narratives and understanding how mothers approach their working situation and lifestyle is an important element in discussing the work-family balance to clarify remaining issues in working culture. It turns out that informal resources and strategies are important to overcome or deal with the challenges, as formal policies still seem to lack in addressing part of the core labor issues and remaining gender inequality.Show less
The goal of this thesis is to analyse how consumption is used in the process of identity formation in Japan. It does so through the analysis of the advertisement titled “世界初かわいい味噌汁/Definition of...Show moreThe goal of this thesis is to analyse how consumption is used in the process of identity formation in Japan. It does so through the analysis of the advertisement titled “世界初かわいい味噌汁/Definition of Japanese Kawaii”, produced by Japanses advertising giant Dentsu. Using a framework that was created based on a critical review of literature regarding relevant theories, this thesis analyses three key myths that are part of Japanese national identity: romanticised history, harmless femininity, and international consumption. Three main findings are revealed throughout the analysis. The first is the complex reciprocal relationship between consumption and nation-building myths. The second is the dichotomous relationship between the parts of Japanese identity that are embraced and those that are rejected (these being Westernisation, sexuality, and historical figures). Finally, the analysis reveals that, in the quest to create a distilled, consumable Japanese identity, individual realities are sacrificed. After the conclusion of the findings, the limitations and potential future pathways of the study are suggested.Show less
The field of research on e-sports is relatively new, and research about e-sports in Japan is limited. Broadly speaking, e-sports refers to video games that are played competitively in tournaments...Show moreThe field of research on e-sports is relatively new, and research about e-sports in Japan is limited. Broadly speaking, e-sports refers to video games that are played competitively in tournaments and leagues. This study will first further elaborate on the term e-sports and explain e-sports by breaking it down into the player, organizational and spectatorship aspects. A review of the literature on Japanese e-sports, and looking at the state of e-sports in Japan reveals several aspects that will form the basis of this study. Firstly, e-sports is a global phenomenon but has had its own developmental trajectory in each country (Kato Hiroyasu, 2018b, p. 136). Japan is considered to be behind developmentally in terms of e-sports compared to countries like South Korea (Kanbe Masayuki, 2012). Further, the literature on Japanese e-sports is scarce. Scholars have argued that the literature on game related studies is Western-centric, and argue that studies are needed that use knowledge of Japanese studies to examine game culture in Japan (Picard & Pelletier-Gagnon, 2015, p. 1-2). Thirdly, Japanese scholars such as Kato Hiroyasu argue for the interpretation of e-sports as a sport rather than seeing games as play (in the sense of leisure of pastime). The scholar Taylor has also broken down the process of professionalization that players experience on their way to becoming pro gamers in e-sports. These two scholars involve themselves in the question of professionalization (transformation from someone who plays games to a pro gamer who makes their living off competing), and the question of recognition (of e.g. society seeing e-sports as a sport). Recognition is a process that can come in various forms and facilitates the process of professionalization. Recognition in the form of e-sports being (legally) recognized as a sport can offer pro gamers the benefit of being recognized as an athlete. Recognition in the form of pro gamers receiving valorization from society can improve their social status, and enable them to receive more social support (from e.g. friends or family) when they decide to professionalize. Finally, this study identifies several sources that contribute to the process of the recognition of e-sports in Japan: pro gamers, the Japan e-Sports Union (JeSU), and a discourse about e-sports as a potential Olympic event. This study sees an opportunity to contribute to the Area Studies and Game Studies literature by taking the recognition of e-sports in Japan as its focus. This opportunity lies in the fact that each country, and thus Japan as well, has had its own developmental trajectory of e-sports, and that the literature on e-sports is scarce and studies using a perspective rooted in Japanese studies are needed. In order to examine the recognition of e-sports in Japan this study will focus on pro gamers, and analyze how they contribute to the process of recognition. Thus, the main question in this study is: how do pro gamers contribute to the process of the recognition of e-sports in Japan? In order to answer the question of how these pro gamers contribute to the process of recognition this study will analyze how pro gamers in Japan represent themselves in the media and strive for recognition from society in order to be taken seriously as people who dedicate themselves to playing video games competitively. The analysis will reveal the strategies that pro players use to represent themselves in the media and personally emancipate themselves. The analysis will also reveal an interplay between elements of the (Japanese) cultural context players find themselves in and the strategies players use to push recognition of e-sports in Japanese society. This will show the nuance that using a Japanese studies perspective to study e-sports reveals, and try to address the problem of the Western centric literature on e-sports and games studies while contributing to the Area Studies literature.Show less
This thesis focuses on the relation between Prime Minister Abe’s nationalist policy and how this has an influence on the rapidly declining press freedom in Japan, seeking a more comprehensive view...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the relation between Prime Minister Abe’s nationalist policy and how this has an influence on the rapidly declining press freedom in Japan, seeking a more comprehensive view of the role prime minister Abe plays in declining press freedom and the relation between declining press freedom and the Japanese broadcasting system. This thesis poses the following research question: To what degree does prime minister Abe’s use of a nationalistic policy agenda influence the rapid decline of press freedom in Japan since 2012, and how does this relate to the Japanese broadcasting system? As opposed to the general academic consensus which puts the blame of declining press freedom almost solely with Prime Minister Abe and his nationalistic tendencies this thesis argues and shows by using gatekeeping theory and identifying the Japanese government as gatekeeper and the Japanese media industry as being gated, that while prime minister Abe is a factor, the underlying problem that allows the decline in press freedom are the several ingrained weaknesses in the Japanese broadcasting system that make it so that officials in power and the government can abuse this to in effect maintain a stronghold over the media regardless of ideology or political position. Such weaknesses include the broadcasting law, ownership of broadcast licensing and the use and abuse of Kisha clubs.Show less
Japanse idolen worden vaak verboden om te daten. In deze scriptie zal worden onderzocht waarom dit zo is en wat de gevolgen zijn wanneer een idool betrapt wordt op het hebben van een relatie. Aan...Show moreJapanse idolen worden vaak verboden om te daten. In deze scriptie zal worden onderzocht waarom dit zo is en wat de gevolgen zijn wanneer een idool betrapt wordt op het hebben van een relatie. Aan de hand van casestudies wordt een vergelijking gemaakt tussen mannelijke en vrouwelijke idolen die betrokken raken bij een liefdesschandaal.Show less
Morning drama series, asadora, attract one of the highest number of viewers watching programmes on Japanese television. These serialised drama series broadcasted by state broadcaster NHK over the...Show moreMorning drama series, asadora, attract one of the highest number of viewers watching programmes on Japanese television. These serialised drama series broadcasted by state broadcaster NHK over the course of half a year, have induced large-scale tourism to sites related to the film locations in the series. The success of such “contents tourism” has a significant economic effect, inspiring producers to choose rural areas coping with depopulation and economic loss. This thesis takes the series Hiyokko, broadcasted in 2017, as an example to explore the field of contents tourism and its cultural framework and history. By investigating the content and narrative of asadora, as well as the economic impact of rural revitalisation, this thesis provides an extensive study on asadora from a socio-cultural and economic perspective.Show less
Veel ouders sturen vanwege de sterke competitie in het onderwijs hun kinderen naar naschoolse bijles instellingen, genaamd juku 塾. Dit doen ze om er zeker van te zijn dat hun kinderen voor het...Show moreVeel ouders sturen vanwege de sterke competitie in het onderwijs hun kinderen naar naschoolse bijles instellingen, genaamd juku 塾. Dit doen ze om er zeker van te zijn dat hun kinderen voor het toelatingsexamen zullen slagen. Door de grote vraag naar dit soort bijles is het aantal juku-instellingen enorm gestegen door de jaren heen. Om zich te onderscheiden van concurrenten en genoeg studenten te werven, maken juku veel gebruik van reclame. In deze scriptie kijk ik naar de wervingsactiviteiten van juku in de vorm van reclame-uitingen. Dit wordt gedaan door de framing-theorie van Ervin Goffman toe te passen om de reclame-uitingen te analyseren en te onderzoeken welke verschillende thema’s gebruikt worden door juku. Het doel is te onderzoeken op wat voor manier juku scholieren werven voor hun diensten om dit vervolgens te verklaren binnen de Japanse samenleving.Show less
The wind energy market in Japan lags behind other energy sources in size, development and implementation of the technology. This paper analyses the causes behind the stagnant nature of wind energy...Show moreThe wind energy market in Japan lags behind other energy sources in size, development and implementation of the technology. This paper analyses the causes behind the stagnant nature of wind energy in Japan, using a PESTLE analysis to determine important influencing factors. These are then used to make recommendations concerning government policy aimed at the wind energy market in Japan.Show less
This thesis describes the development of the phenomenon of yōkai in Japan throughout time and investigates the influence of nationalism on this phenomenon using the oni as a case study.
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
