The 6th Youth Culture Symposium

Purpose of the symposium

This project aims to explore how contemporary youth culture and lifestyles in Japan and Germany have

changed in recent years due to the rapid progress of globalization and information technology, and what developments can be expected in youth cultural exchange between the two countries in the future. In order to investigate these questions, we support Japanese and German scholars in their research into youth culture and

lifestyles, foster the development of researchers who will play a central role in the cultural exchange between the two countries, and aim to develop a new academic field by making research results available to a broader audience through symposia, workshops, and publications.

It is our goal to promote comparative research on youth culture and lifestyles in Japan and Germany from a sociological standpoint, and to foster researchers who will be responsible for this exchange in the next generation.

1. Changes in cultural and consumer activities such as film, music, manga, and art
2. Trends in living conditions, such as fashion, diet, and living arrangements
3. Diversification of lifestyles, including education, work, love, and marriage
4. Changes in social consciousness and movements, such as immigration, minorities, gender, and the environment

Current awareness in Japan and Germany of how contemporary culture is accepted in both countries will be reported and discussed in a symposium format.

Outline of the Symposium

Topic

“Exchange between East and West in Contemporary Culture”

Program

Part 1 and Part 2: Research Reports

1. Akito Inoue (Full-time Lecturer, College of Image Arts and Sciences, Ritsumeikan University)

   Topic: “Comparison of youth culture in Japan and Germany based on the discourse about games”

2. Shinji Imai (Adjunct Lecturer at Rikkyo University;

   Part-time Lecturer at Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo Polytechnic

   University, and Otsuma Women's University)

   “Comparison of Analog Games in Japan and Germany and Research on Young People's Participation in Games”

3. Jiangcheng Wu (Doctoral Candidate, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University)

   “The Reception of Haruki Murakami's Literature in German and Chinese Online Communities”

4. Takehito Noda (Associate Professor, Faculty of Modern Welfare, Hosei University)

   Topic: “Environmental History of the Culture of Drinking Spring Water in Japan and Germany”

Part 3: Plenary Discussion

Moderator

Daisuke Tano (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Konan University)