This course aims to enhance students’ understanding on Japanese cultural flows in the context of globalization. The course will introduce various aspects of Japanese pop cultures as presented in the mass media and its influence on East Asian countries in terms of multi-disciplinary (historical/political, societal, economic and technological) perspectives. The course introduces key theories and concepts of globalization by focusing on cultural analyses and critical cultural responses to globalization. Particular emphasis is placed on transnational cultural industries in Japan and its global cultural phenomena relevant to everyday Hong Kong experience. After finishing this course, students will be able to describe and critically discuss cultural phenomena reflected in the mass media based on contemporary culture theories and describe the impact of Japanese popular culture on Hong Kong and other East Asian countries.