Invited Lecture: Lena Beck, M.A.

Subtle Diversity: Gender Representation in Terrace House and its Digital Reception

While western reality television formats such as Love Is Blind: Germany have sparked debates about
masculinity and emotional expression, similar discussions in Japanese media remain less developed.
Drawing on Judith Butler’s concept of gender performativity, the presentation understands gender as a
socially constructed and enacted practice. With this background, the work explores gender
representation in the Japanese reality television series Terrace House.
Due to its understated and observational format, Terrace House provides a unique lens for examining
how gender roles are performed and negotiated in everyday interactions. Using qualitative content
analysis, the study investigates how participants are positioned and which gendered narratives are
reinforced or challenged.
The findings reveal a coexistence of traditional and modern gender roles, highlighting how media
subtly reproduces and reshapes societal norms in contemporary Japan.