The Student Association of Japanese Language and Culture (HIMAJE), Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), organized the Japanese Studies Lecture (Kuliah Seru Kejepangan/KSK) on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the 4th Floor of Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM. The event was open to the public and attended by students from the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program as well as participants from other faculties within UGM.
HIMAJE invited Lili Febriyani, S.S., M.Si., a lecturer from the Japanese Language and Culture Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, as the keynote speaker. She delivered a lecture entitled “The Visible and the Invisible: Reading Japanese Culture through Visual Media.”
The session began with a series of photographs taken in Japan, encouraging participants to share their initial observations and interpretations. The discussion then moved beyond what was immediately visible, inviting participants to explore the cultural meanings embedded within the images. In addition to photographs, the speaker introduced various forms of visual media—including scenes from Japanese television dramas, television commercials, magazine covers, and other visual materials—to demonstrate how Japanese culture can be understood through critical visual analysis. The lecture covered several topics, including Japanese homogeneity and conformity, changes in Japanese food culture, and shifting representations of masculinity as portrayed in different forms of media.
As one of the flagship programs of HIMAJE’s Education and Strategic Studies Division (DIKASTRAT), the Japanese Studies Lecture aims to broaden public understanding of Japanese Studies through engaging and accessible learning activities. The event was offered free of charge to encourage wider participation from students and the general public.
Author: Heni Putri Lestari
Editor: Lili Febriyani, S.S., M.Si.
