The Politics of Japanese Popular Culture in China (the 1980s – present)

The research project is a multi-site anthropological study on the politics of the spread of Japanese popular culture in China since the reform period in 1980s by illuminating the political dynamics underpinning the dissemination of Japanese cultural products in China, the roles of the intermediaries involved and the interaction between the Chinese cultural policy and the domestic media industry in the specific local contexts. It aims to provide valuable empirical data on the spread of Japanese anime, manga and television drama in the specific Chinese local contexts, including Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing.