I studied abroad at Akita
International University in Akita, Japan for the Fall 2015 semester. While
there, I participated in the school’s hip-hop dance team. I was fascinated by
all of the exposure I had to the Japanese hip-hop subculture, including a trip
to perform in a dance showcase at a neighboring university. My experiences
inspired me to explore the topic further. I wanted to learn about how and why
the subculture developed and the effects it has had on the population and
Japanese music industry. My research question is as follows: How can American
cross-cultural influence on young adults in Japan be observed through the
development of the Japanese hip-hop subculture?
For my
project, I am planning to interview Japanese college students about their
experiences with hip-hop. In order to be able to interview people, I had to
complete an application for the Institutional Review Board. This process took a
few weeks because, in addition to writing interview questions and the
application in English, I had to translate a lot of the materials to Japanese.
After submitting, I revised as necessary. Besides this process, I have been
reading scholarly articles every week and meeting with my mentor bi-weekly.
One cool
“discovery” I have made came from a scholarly article I read recently. The
article discussed the theory of “hybridism” and how it applies to Japan.
Basically, according to the author, Japan’s culture is such that it is able to
take on aspects of other cultures and those aspects eventually become Japanese;
Japanese culture is like a sponge. I found this really interesting and it
supported some of my observations as a participant in Japan’s hip-hop culture.
This
project relates to my long-term goals because I hope to return to Japan in the
near future. I am actually submitting my application to the JET Program soon,
which, if I am accepted, will provide me with the opportunity to live in Japan
for at least one year as an assistant language teacher for school-aged
children. The experience of speaking with Japanese students for my project and
researching a specific aspect of Japanese culture will prepare me for living in
Japan again and interacting with people.
