Digital Media, Culture and Japanese

Digital media, culture, and Japanese is a degree that connects an understanding of how digital technologies are reshaping culture, communication, and creative practice with the language, literature, and society of Japan, one of the world's most technologically innovative and culturally distinctive nations. Japan has been central to the development of consumer electronics, video games, animation, and digital aesthetics, and understanding both the Japanese cultural context and the broader dynamics of digital media gives you a rare and valuable perspective on how technology and culture interact.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies, this four-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a supported introduction to the disciplines before you enter the main degree. You will develop Japanese language skills to a substantial level, engaging with Japanese literature, film, history, and society, alongside the critical and creative study of digital media, examining how digital platforms, industries, and audiences are changing the way culture is produced and consumed. SOAS's distinctive expertise in Asian and African studies enriches the digital media curriculum with a perspective that is genuinely international and attentive to cultural difference.

Graduates are well-placed for careers in digital media production, content strategy, social media, journalism, the games industry, international business, cultural diplomacy, and the creative industries, particularly in contexts where engagement with Japan or the Asia-Pacific region is relevant. The combination of Japanese language competence and digital media understanding is also valuable in organisations developing products or services for Japanese markets, or working in partnership with Japanese companies. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in media studies, Japanese studies, or area studies.