Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Japan Majors of the Asian Center Present Papers on Japanese Pop Culture in Tokyo Conference

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Japan Majors of the UP Asian Center with Dr. Reyes. Photo by Lara Cartujano. 

Several graduate students of UP Asian Center presented their papers at “Communicating with Cool Japan: New International Perspectives on Japanese Popular Culture,” an International Communication Association Preconference held last 8 June 2016 at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

  • “Somewhere in Between: Analyzing the Hybridization of Japanese Popular Music” by Lara Cartujano

  • “Repackaging Japanese Culture: The Digitalization of Folktales in the Pokémon Franchise” by Erika Engracia

  • “Measuring Soft Power from the Recipient Context: Japanese Popular Culture Consumption and Structure-based Interpretation of Soft Power” by Allen Villota II

Earlier in the month, Ms. Cartujano, who will be taking part in the graduation ceremony on 26 June 2016, also participated in another conference, “Asian Conference on Cultural Studies,” where she presented, “Beat of Asia: Analyzing East Asia’s Cultural Hierarchy and the Negotiation of Hallyu Stars’ Identity and Songs.” The conference was held last 2–5 June 2016 at the Art Center Kobe, Japan and was organized by the International Academic Forum (IAFOR). The conference was sponsored by Waseda University and the University of London, among others. View program. 

Joining them was UP Asian Center alumna Joanna Obispo, who presented “Comparative Analysis of Historical and Animated Images of Japan: Perceptions of Selected Filipino University Students.” Also attendance was Dr. Michiyo Yoneno-Reyes, Associate Professor at the UP Asian Center, who is currently on sabbatical leave. 

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.