Social Activism and 'Spaces of Autonomy' in the Context of Japan: An Analysis of the Student Movement Known as SEALDs

In recent decades Japanese university students have been characterised as politically apathetic and disinterested in organising for grassroots change. Despite a variety of socio-contextual factors that have contributed to this reality, a student movement known as SEALDs emerged in 2015 and successfully mobilised a substantial number of Japanese youth and shifted public discourse on social activism. By taking a case study approach, this paper analyses the movement and focuses on their unique ability to mobilise the masses through a unique utilisation of what Castells terms 'spaces of autonomy'. The authors argue that while existing in a hybrid of cyberspace and urban space SEALDs was able to resonate with the country through social networking sites, music, fashion, and pop-culture appeal. Unlike other movements that aim to 'radically disrupt the system' SEALDs found success through branding and popular appeal. We suggest the case study of SEALDs offers a novel contribution to the research of student activism worldwide, and highlights the importance of social context in any attempt to understand particular manifestations of student-led activism.