- Constructions of men in mass media with special focus on situations of crying
- Narrative structures of contemporary Japanese popular fiction
„When does Momotarō cry? Theory and empiricism of crying men in the popular fiction of contemporary Japanese men’s culture”
The Japanese fairy tale “Momotarō” describes the story of a boy born from a peach (Jap. momo) who marches to the island of demons. There he conquers the king of demons with the help of three comrades met on his march to finally turn back to his village with the demons king`s treasure. In the eyes of the Japanese essayist Saitō Minako the plot of this story is a prototype for contemporary Japanese popular fiction which is typical for the Japanese Men’s culture. The dissertation project offers an analysis of when and in which way male characters in popular fictional stories defined by the “Momotarō-Type” are showing tears or are crying.