158-434 Japan Today by Satellite Television

Note

Available as 158-334 at 3rd-year level.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Japanese 3B.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

An advanced subject on contemporary Japan using the daily satellite television programs from Tokyo. Emphasis is on understanding and interpreting topics in news and current affairs programs including politics and international relations, economics and trade, commercials and advertising, technology, art, architecture, urban planning, and popular culture. Students will gain a high level of understanding of the Japanese language as it is used in the real-life context of current television programming. They will have greatly enhanced their fluency in Japanese and their awareness of current idiomatic expressions in a variety of fields. The subject will also include the study of background readings in both English and Japanese.

Assessment

Written assignments totalling not more than 5000 words at third year; not more than 6000 words at fourth year. Students will be required to monitor prescribed satellite television programs. Attendance and participation in seminars is essential.

Prescribed Texts

Japanese newspapers, (Asahi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun). NKHK television programs (News and documentaries).