LAS225 Contemporary Japanese Society

Autumn semester 2025/26

20 Credits

Module Organiser: Professor Jennifer Coates (jennifer.coates@sheffield.ac.uk) 

Overview 

This module explores the social, economic, and demographic changes that have taken place in Japan since the 1990s. The aim of the module is to provide you with information and tools to be able to understand the nature of Japan as a rich post-industrial society, to be able to critically explore representations of Japan in different types of media, and reflect on and produce analyses of social challenges that are facing the country and why.

Each week will focus on a specific aspect of contemporary Japan, ranging from economy to environment to population and media. The weekly lecture and academic readings will give you a thorough overview of the weekly topic and its significance to the study of Contemporary Japan. The following seminar sessions will build on what we have learned during the lecture, developing different aspects of your academic research skills. Through the weekly learning materials and exercises, the module focuses on building your strengths and skills in how to approach, analyse, and use different types of evidence, and build your identities and capacities as 'Researchers'.

Topics Covered

■  Introduction to contemporary Japan

■  Who Lives in Contemporary Japan?

■  Bursting the Bubble: Framing the ‘Lost Decades’ after the 1990s

■  Belonging In and Outside the Family

■  “Shakai mondai”: Social Problems and their Representation

■  Aging, Depopulation, and Urbanisation

■  Multiculturalism, Migration and National identity

■  Nuclear Japan and the Environment

■  A New Politicised Generation?

■  Contemporary Challenges and Future Issues

Skills Development

■  Information literacy and use of different kinds of sources as evidence

■  Critical thinking

■  Application of academic ideas to events/phenomena in context

■  Understanding key debates surrounding Japan's contemporary history and future projections

■  Cultural agility and understanding contemporary Japan in the world

■  Working with others

■  Time management and organisation of your own work

Study Hours

The University recommends that you spend 200 hours working on a 20-credit module. This will include:

■  Lectures 10 hours

■  Seminars 10 hours

■  Independent study 180 hours

Assessment

■  Research Essay 100%