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This work utilizes a spatial theory approach to meditate on postwar Japanese society and cinema. It is not a history of Japanese postwar cinema, or a survey of notable directors and genres. Rather, the focus is specifically on film and its relation to the deeper tropes of Japanese society; in particular, on how the sense of nation is affirmed and/or challenged within a postwar period of remarkable change. Understanding such a structure greatly aids in analyzing the forms and meanings within the films. The question of National Cinema, then, is approached by exploring how the interaction of spatial-temporal elements affect both the social construction and filmic practices of the nation. / The first part of the dissertation features an extended analysis of Japanese society using a variety of historical, philosophical and theoretical sources, both Japanese and foreign. They provide a theoretical base and a social history that ground the critical readings of the selected films; all of which are well-known and widely available. Part two is a close textual analysis of five 1950s productions---from a range of films and genres---that are contrasted with three films from the late 1980s/early 1990s. The final chapter examines notions about National Cinema in light of the preceding film analysis.

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The cinematic experience in Taisho Japan was a defining part of a spectrum of modernity's experiences associated with daily urban life. This paper argues that rather than theorizing film in rational terms common to "serious" film criticism focussing on aspects of production, Ozaki Midori envisioned the cinematic experience from the standpoint of an enthralled spectator, in terms of a sensual, bodily interaction with the cinematic image. Given the over-determined relationship of women to mass culture, one that is wrought with contradictions, Ozaki's writings on film open up the question of gender as it relates to spectatorship and the development of subjectivity within mass culture. Ozaki writes from a perspective within the cinematic experience in which the boundaries between spectator and image collapse. Ozaki offers a new mode of thinking and writing, a poetics of distraction to articulate and comprehend the modern experience.

In December 2000, Japanese lawmakers took unprecedented steps to ban Fukasaku Kinji's Battle Royale from theaters prior to its scheduled release. The film was deemed "crude and tasteless" for its portrayal of teen violence in a state run game of kill or be-killed and attempts to ban the film were pursued through the film certification process all the way to the floor of Japanese parliament. This thesis investigates the controversy surrounding the release of Battle Royale and the socioeconomic and cultural factors - in particular, the Japanese recession and widening generation gap of the 1990s - that influenced both the film's message and the extraordinary political reaction in Japan. This thesis argues that the objections to the film were not based solely on the violent content as is often reported, but rather were the combination of adult economic and cultural anxiety regarding themselves and the youth, the anti-authority message of the film that encouraged the youth to reject adult systems, and a political campaign that exploited the adult fears by using Battle Royale as a scapegoat for youth problems. / by Caren Pagel. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

viii, 111 p. : ill. (some col.) / During the early stage of Japan's High Economic Growth Period (1955-1970), a group of directors and films, labeled the Japanese New Wave, emerged to strong critical acclaim and scholarly pursuit. Over time, Japanese New Wave Cinema has come to occupy a central position within the narrative history of Japanese film studies. This position has helped introduce many significant films while inadvertently ostracizing or ignoring the much broader landscape of film at this time. This thesis seeks to complexify the New Wave's central position through the career of Daiei Studios' director, Masumura Yasuzo. Masumura signifies a "space in-between" the cultural elite represented by the New Wave and the box office focus of mass culture cinema. Utilizing available English language and rare Japanese sources, this thesis will re-examine Masumura's position on the periphery of film studies while highlighting the larger film environment of this dynamic period. / Committee in charge: Prof. Steven Brown, Chair; Dr. Daisuke Miyao, Advisor

Iu, Yiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-173). / Abstracts in English and Chinese ; questionnaires also in Chinese. / Abstracts --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter A. --- Objectives and Significance --- p.1 / Chapter B. --- Academic Issues and Literature Review --- p.4 / Chapter C. --- Theories and Methodologies --- p.18 / Chapter D. --- Structure of the Thesis --- p.20 / Chapter Part I: --- The Making of a Seiyu Culture in Japan / Chapter Chapter 1: --- What is Seiyu? --- p.24 / Chapter 1.1 --- Definition of Seiyu --- p.24 / Chapter 1.2 --- Scope of Works --- p.27 / Chapter 1.3 --- Training Institutions and Agencies --- p.32 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- The Historical Development of the Seiyu Profession in Japan --- p.38 / Chapter Part II: --- Cultural and Social Significance of Seiyu Culture / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Seiyu as Art and Industry --- p.56 / Chapter 3.1 --- Internal Factors --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2 --- External Factors --- p.64 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Cultural and Social Impact of the Seiyu Culture --- p.78 / Chapter 4.1 --- Cultural Impact --- p.78 / Chapter 4.2 --- Social Impact --- p.92 / Chapter Part III: --- Comparative Study on Japanese Seiyu and Hong Kong Voice Artists / Chapter Chapter 5: --- The Popularization of the Japanese Seiyu and Local Voice Artists in Hong Kong --- p.101 / Chapter 5.1 --- Japanese Seiyu Steal the Limelight in Hong Kong --- p.102 / Chapter 5.2 --- Hong Kong Voice Artists Move out from the Backstage --- p.112 / Chapter 5.3 --- The Comparison of the Reception of Japanese Seiyu with That of Local Voice Artists in Hong Kong --- p.117 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Comparison of the Dubbing Profession between Japan and Hong Kong --- p.123 / Chapter 6.1 --- Structural Differences in Dubbing Profession --- p.126 / Chapter 6.2 --- The Role of Voice Dubbing in Popular Culture --- p.135 / Concluding Analysis --- p.147 / References --- p.163 / Appendix --- p.174 / Chapter I) --- Questionnaire of Seiyu Culture in Hong Kong --- p.174 / Chapter II) --- Sample Interview Questions for Seiyu Fans --- p.177 / Chapter III) --- Sample Interview Questions for Voice Artists --- p.178