Students

JPNS3015 – Japanese Media and Culture

2026 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Sung-Ae Lee
sung-ae.lee@mq.edu.au
Contact via By email
25WW C339
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
JPNS1220 or JPNS2020
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese contemporary culture through critical reflection and analysis of Japanese media. Placing a particular focus on the study of popular culture as a site to acquire sophisticated understandings of Japanese society, students will gain advanced insight into the socio-cultural, political, and economic influences which shape contemporary Japan. Working with authentic Japanese media texts, the unit builds students’ Japanese cultural literacy and prepares them for careers in either Japan or which require significant engagement with Japan. Further, the unit situates the study of Japanese contemporary culture within the broader context of the global media landscape, extending students’ intercultural communicative competence through engagement with a range of sources in both Japanese and English. Students will complete reflective and persuasive writing tasks based in critically engaging with Japanese media, developing advanced skills in research and communication.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Develop advanced critical insights into Japanese contemporary culture through the scholarly study of Japanese media and popular culture.
  • ULO2: Critically read and interpret authentic Japanese media texts to identify and analyse key concepts related to Japanese contemporary culture.
  • ULO3: Situate and explicate understandings of Japanese contemporary culture through critical reflections on Japan’s positioning in the global media landscape.
  • ULO4: Articulate analysis of Japanese contemporary culture in a clear, focused and cohesive manner, both orally and in writing.
  • ULO5: Search for scholarly and other relevant materials and use them ethically and effectively in reflective and persuasive communicative tasks.

General Assessment Information

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS  

  • All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.   

  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date.  

  • Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process.  

  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER  

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Quizzes 30% No Weeks 2-11 Individual No Open AI
Reflective Presentation 30% No 11:55pm, 12/4/2026 Individual and Group No Observed
Research Essay 40% No 11:55pm, 7/6/2026 Individual No Open AI

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Problem-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Weeks 2-11
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

Online multiple-choice quizzes assessing students' knowledge of each module's key ideas and themes
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop advanced critical insights into Japanese contemporary culture through the scholarly study of Japanese media and popular culture.
  • Critically read and interpret authentic Japanese media texts to identify and analyse key concepts related to Japanese contemporary culture.
  • Situate and explicate understandings of Japanese contemporary culture through critical reflections on Japan’s positioning in the global media landscape.

Reflective Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 11:55pm, 12/4/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

This collaborative group presentation requires students to critically reflect on a genre of Japanese media studied in the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically read and interpret authentic Japanese media texts to identify and analyse key concepts related to Japanese contemporary culture.
  • Situate and explicate understandings of Japanese contemporary culture through critical reflections on Japan’s positioning in the global media landscape.
  • Articulate analysis of Japanese contemporary culture in a clear, focused and cohesive manner, both orally and in writing.
  • Search for scholarly and other relevant materials and use them ethically and effectively in reflective and persuasive communicative tasks.

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 11:55pm, 7/6/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

This task requires students to write a fully referenced persuasive essay, including appropriate examples and scholarly references.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop advanced critical insights into Japanese contemporary culture through the scholarly study of Japanese media and popular culture.
  • Critically read and interpret authentic Japanese media texts to identify and analyse key concepts related to Japanese contemporary culture.
  • Situate and explicate understandings of Japanese contemporary culture through critical reflections on Japan’s positioning in the global media landscape.
  • Articulate analysis of Japanese contemporary culture in a clear, focused and cohesive manner, both orally and in writing.
  • Search for scholarly and other relevant materials and use them ethically and effectively in reflective and persuasive communicative tasks.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

JPNS3015 adopts a partial "flipped classroom" approach in which students complete various study activities each week before entering the classroom (either physically or virtually). In order to successfully participate in seminars/forum discussions, each week starting from Week 2 students will be required to:

1. Watch the pre-recorded lecture 2. Read the required readings 3. Complete a pre-seminar online quiz 4. Complete participation activities in seminars/online forums (depending on nature of enrolment).

More information concerning the study schedule can be found in iLearn.

Please note that some weeks, there may be no scheduled learning activities. Please refer to the unit schedule for specific details.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient. This is particularly true for online tests/quizzes (to be conducted at home). Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required.

  • For central technical support go to: http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_unit s/information_technology/help/
  • For student quick guides on the use of iLearn go to: https://students.mq.edu.au/sup port/study/tools-and-resources/ilearn/ilearn-quick-guides-for-students

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.01R of the Handbook