FACULTY & COURSES | APU Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University College of
Asia Pacific Studies (APS)

Professor

Kaori Yoshida (Japan)

Stundet

Cathy Tjong (Indonesia)

AN INSIDE LOOK INTO APS CLASSES

Through the Eyes of Our Faculty and Students

Create a better society through study of culture, society, and media in APS. Here, you'll learn to challenge everyday assumptions and analyze complex social structures from diverse angles. Curious how? Take a look at Professor Yoshida’s Media and cultural studies class to uncover her unique teaching style.

Is what we see just “information”?

Communication is about more than just words. When viewed through the lens of anime, movies, and social media, what does our society truly look like? We explore these questions and more in my class.

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How We Learn

Pop culture is something most people know and enjoy. But in this class, we use it to observe society. Ready to look beyond the surface?

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How We Learn

A STUDENT’S VOICE

Horror manga, anime, and all the media we casually consume everyday suddenly becomes a mirror reflecting society in this class. Professor Yoshida always respects what students are genuinely interested in.

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Become a Force For Critical Thinking

Gain the power to look beneath the surface of media, rather than blindly accepting information. Discovering hidden meaning behind media we see daily allows us to enjoy it on a deeper level.

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Become a Force For Critical Thinking

A STUDENT’S VOICE

Since learning critical thinking in class, I’ve started noticing the inaccuracies and hidden intentions behind information. This skill isn't a tool to attack others, but is a way to protect my own thinking.

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The Perfect Place for Different Norms to Meet

In classrooms at APU, students of diverse nationalities and historical perspectives come together, each bringing their own ideas of what is "normal". Discover the advantage this unique environment provides for interpreting media through multiple lenses.

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The Perfect Place for Different Norms to Meet

A STUDENT’S VOICE

Sometimes, my own cultural values are challenged, and friction occurs. However, Professor Yoshida’s class is a safe space where no opinion is ever dismissed.

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The Power to Navigate a Complex Society

Learn to navigate our complex society by pinpointing the truth from a constant flow of information. Make the ability to see beyond the surface, something essential in many contexts, a strength of your own.

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The Power to Navigate a Complex Society

A STUDENT’S VOICE

I used to worry if studying sociology and media would actually be useful for my future. But my professor told me, "Movies and songs are essential for human survival."

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To everyone interested in this field, I want to share that the true thrill of media and cultural studies lies in the very process of discovering the fundamental questions: 'Where is the issue?' and 'Is that truly the problem?' If you want to thoroughly think through the subtle doubts and gut feelings you experience toward society, or if you are interested in defining 'what the actual question is,' this field is for you. I truly hope that those who can enjoy this process—questioning the essence of things and deepening their thinking—will come and immerse themselves in this learning.

Professor Kaori Yoshida

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APS MOCK LECTURE

Professor Utpal Vyas

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We often think communication requires talking face-to-face. However, media such as anime and film are actually key tools linking us to the rest of world. The media we enjoy everyday is layered with the atmosphere of the times, complex social systems, and even politics—condensed down into a form accessible to everyone. Truly understanding media reveals the reality of society hidden beneath the surface. My class teaches you how to ask deep questions that arise from everyday life and understand how the world really works.

 
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Media evolves alongside society, so I begin by listening to my students' real perspectives. By staying close to their everyday experiences, I refine the questions we ask about media and help them uncover the social forces hidden beneath the surface. That is my teaching style.

Example discussion topics:

The power of comparison:
Comparing classic and modern Disney movies to expose both shifting gender roles and ideologies that haven't changed.

Analyzing on a deeper level:
Take the example of games that turn warships into anime girls. Why the female body? What shifts if the characters were male?

 
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Professor Yoshida’s classes are never just about textbook theories. Horror manga, anime, and all the media we casually consume everyday suddenly becomes a mirror reflecting society in this class. Professor Yoshida always respects what students are genuinely interested in. When I bring up my favorite movies or songs in class, she treats me as a fellow researcher, asking with real curiosity, 'What’s the story behind that?' or 'Why do you feel that way?' Thanks to her, what used to be entertainment has transformed into a real-time textbook for understanding how society works.

 
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What I want you to gain is the power to look beneath the surface of media and read between the lines, rather than blindly accepting information. Propaganda and media manipulation never arrive with a warning. Instead, they slip quietly into everyday cute and fun moments. Uncovering this can sometimes be a shock. However, instead of looking at a piece of media in isolation, we connect it with social and historical contexts to decode its deepest layers. This multifaceted perspective not only allows us to enjoy media on a deeper level, but it becomes our ultimate force for navigating our complex world.

 
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I used to blindly accept whatever news or social media posts scrolled past. But learning critical thinking completely changed that. Now, I can spot inaccuracies and see the hidden intentions behind the screen. This skill isn't a tool to attack others, but is a way to protect my own thinking. Is this AI-generated, or is it an expression with a real human soul? After gaining this lens to spot what is genuine, I even utilize it beyond media, by striving to truly understand what is behind the actions and words of the people right in front of me.

 
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Our classroom brings together diverse ideas of everyday norms for students of many nationalities and historical views. The true excitement lies in decoding a single piece of media with these different perspectives. This is the real meaning of learning in a unique environment like APU. Sometimes, friction occurs, and you might even feel like your own roots are being challenged. However, APU is a place where we can express our honest opinions without holding back. It is, so to speak, a 'safe space.' While fully respecting each other’s backgrounds, encountering these different views allows us to reconsider our own perspectives.

 
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APU brings together students from all over the world, each with completely different ideas of what is normal. During discussions, my own cultural values are sometimes challenged, and friction occurs. However, Professor Yoshida’s class is a safe space where no opinion is ever dismissed. Clashing with peers from diverse backgrounds through our ideas on media made me realize how trapped I was in my own narrow perspective. Learning here has given me the confidence to connect with people of any background once I step out into the real world.

 
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There is no manual for the world after graduation. We learn to navigate our complex society by pinpointing the truth from a constant flow of information. This makes the ability to see beyond the surface, something essential in many contexts, a strength of one's own. Critical thinking and the capacity to view things from multiple perspectives are skills not limited to a specific field. Whether you are launching a project, persuading someone, or mediating conflicting opinions, these are fundamental skills required in every profession and every situation. Through my classes, I want you to first grasp the starting point for viewing the world from different angles. Training yourself to analyze a single phenomenon down to its deepest layers is a vital step in protecting your own thinking.

 
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I used to worry if studying sociology and media would actually be useful for my future. But my professor told me, 'Movies and songs are essential for human survival.' In a society that constantly demands efficiency and correct answers, this class taught me to value one's gut feelings and doubts, and to interpret things from multiple angles. This learning is not just about gaining knowledge. It has become my emotional anchor for navigating this complex world in my own unique way. If you want to trust your own intuition and think things through to the very end, this is the door you should knock on.

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