WHO WE ARE
The Department of Japanese Studies is a multi-disciplinary and area-studies based programme. Our professors conduct independent research in different fields, dealing directly or tangentially with Japan-Hong Kong cross-cultural encounters within the framework of the historical context and evolutionary development of both cultures.
The Impact Case committee is led by Prof. Benjamin Wai-ming NG, Prof. Kinnia Shuk-ting YAU and lecturer Mr. Ching LAU. Ng’s Japanese Popular Culture and Hong Kong (2015) is the first academic book on Japanese popular culture in Hong Kong. Yau’s Japanese and Hong Kong Film Industries (2010) is the first English book on the role of the Japanese in the making of Hong Kong movies. Lau is a cultural studies veteran who has been giving talks and lectures on Japan-Hong Kong popular culture in secondary schools for the past 10 years.
Prof. Kinnia Shuk-ting YAU
Prof. Benjamin Wai-ming NG
Mr. Ching LAU
WHAT WE DO
Voice New Truth.
Break New Ground.
This case study has challenged and refined the current understanding of the making of Hong Kong creative industries and the globalization of Japanese popular culture in Asia in the post-war era. Under the auspices of three UGC-funded grants and one Sumitomo Research Grant, we have examined Hong Kong-Japan interactions and collaborations in popular culture in the following four areas: (1) anime, comics and games, (2) TV dramas and pop music, (3) movies, and (4) food. Academic output and cultural activities that are related to our impact case have established the Japanese Studies at CUHK as one of the leading research hubs in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Department has adopted a proactive approach in impact enhancement and knowledge transfer. We do not only make progress in academia, but also attend press interviews, conduct workshops or seminars in bookstores and secondary schools to reach out to the industry and the general public. Some of us have close connection with influencers in the cultural industries of both Hong Kong and Japan, and such affiliates would provide massive fuel for impact in our academic research and social activities.