Hussman professor earns second Fulbright to document Japan’s cultural changes
Pat Davison will produce documentary videos on how the country’s traditional culture is intersecting with globalization and modern influences.
UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media professor Pat Davison has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award for the 2023-24 academic year to produce a series of documentary videos examining the evolution of Japanese culture. It’s the second Fulbright for Davison, who was selected in 2014-15 to produce films examining Japan’s aging population.
Davison sees Japanese culture at a crossroads. The country’s traditional collectivist philosophy and time-honored arts and crafts mastery are intersecting with an aging population and the growing influences of globalization, digital technology and trendy pop culture exports like anime, manga, J-pop music and video games.
“Ironically, virtual representations of traditional Japanese culture are thriving while some actual traditional cultural practices are struggling to survive,” Davison wrote in his Fulbright proposal.
Learn more about Davison and his interest and work on Japanese society and culture.
