This module will explore the function of visual mass media (manga and television) within the culture and society of contemporary Japan, and will compare their genres, styles, narratives and audiences to Western counterparts. We first offer an overview of theories of Japanese culture (Ruth Benedict, Doi Takeo, Joy Hendry, Nakane Chie). This includes an introduction to key categories of Japanese psyche, such as contextualism, groupism, Amae and Nihonjinron, and also the obvious societal changes in post-bubble Japan: rapid aging, otaku and hikikomori, fr't' and parasite people. We then look at the way different media depict these developments: manga (sh'jo and sh'nenai, gekiga and sarari'man manga) as well as television genres (TV-news, TV-serials and TV-advertisement). We also examine the audiences these genres are designed for, and unravel ratings by gender and age. Special sessions will be dedicated to film adaptations of Japanese (graphic) novels (MW, Distant Neighbourhood, Norwegian Wood) and to the way the media look at themselves. The aim of the module is to define and understand the national system of mass media in Japan and to underpin this finding with empirical data, observations, and theories. All readings will be in English.