Courses

This introductory course explores themes, issues, and institutions in Japan, offering insights into Japanese culture from a Japanese perspective. We will examine how experiences and interpretations shape contemporary Japanese identity. The course includes a historical survey and discussions on modern Japan, covering topics such as the origins of the Japanese people, language, culinary traditions, warrior ideals, religious practices, folktales, creation myths, anime, manga, World War II issues, fashion, family, education, and career. No prior knowledge is required. Readings are in English.

An introduction to the culture and society of China, exploring themes, issues, and institutions in China, as seen through the lens of Chinese culture. The course investigates how Chinese culture evolved within the changing socio-political milieu from early state formation (~10th c. bce) to the present. Major topics include cultural notions used in the construction of self, family, education, work, and religious practice. Students acquire the skills and mindset to facilitate the study of China, a non-western culture, in a culturally appropriate manner. Readings in English.

This course explores 'uncomfortable' topics in the complex 150-year relationship between Japan and the U.S., focusing on key issues, such as racial stereotypes, immigration, the Japanese Exclusion Act, atomic bombings, internment camps, U.S. military bases in Japan, sexual objectification of East Asian women, and anti-Asian hate during COVID-19. Students will examine the dynamics of racism, power, and privilege in both nations, using English-language readings and alternative perspectives from Japanese scholars. This course is conducted in English.

A survey of the Arts of Asia from Neolithic period to Modern times. Three general topics, including Ancient Civilization, Asian Religion and Art, Traditional China and Japan will be discussed. The course covers different art forms primarily painting, sculpture and architecture from several regions: India, China, Japan, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. The works of art are important in their own contexts and we want to learn what they reveal about their parent cultures. Offered every semester. ARTH 131 and AS 131 are cross-listed.

Study of Chinese and Japanese cultures and societies from a comparative perspective. This course explores the transnational connections between the two East Asian countries from premodern times to the contemporary. By studying the similarities and differences in various social and cultural topics and issues between China and Japan, students examine and compare the core values and identities of the two cultures. The course prepares students for further study in China and/or Japan. All readings are in English.

China: 30 Years in Literature and Film aims to familiarize students with key issues in contemporary China through the medium of literature and film. Key issues and topics include memory and trauma, modernization and globalization, youth and popular culture.

Study of the history, transformation, and practices of Chinese folklore both in China and Chinese communities abroad. Focus is on the rich repertoire of Chinese folklore; its representations in literature, pop culture, daily life, and political discourse; and its significant roles in shaping ideas about morality, nation, gender, ethnicity, and heritage; its contribution to the spread of religion, the pursuit of status, and the achievement of modernity. The course helps students to understand the ways Chinese at the grass-roots level live and think.

In the 30 years after the end of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), the literary world of China has undergone various changes that mirror and anticipate social and political shifts. In this course we will read representative works of the so-called scar literature, reflection literature, reform literature, avant-garde literature, new realist literature, and modernist literature. Authors include mainland writers Yu Hua, Mo Yan, Su tong, Wang Anyi, Wang Shuo, Wang Meng, Chi Zijian, as well as Chinese expatriates Gao Xingjian, Ha Jin, Yan Geling, and Dai Sijie. We will also watch a few films that are based on some of the readings for this class.

Study of the history, uses, and reshaping of folktales and fairy tales in the oral, literary, and filmic traditions of both the Western world and China. Focus is on the underlying forces and reasons for the radical transformations of these tales in form and meaning; their significant roles in constructing nation, ethnicity, class, gender, and morality; and their nature as an art form of questioning the larger culture. It introduces the methods of narrative analysis and cultural criticism in folktale research.

Study of the literary and bodily encounters between places, people, capital, and cultures in the context of China’s modernization and globalization. Students read historical and contemporary travel writings, view documentary films, and analyze ethnographically-based research to explore what happens on the meeting grounds between "hosts" and "guests" and how these encounters shape landscapes, nation building, ethnic identities, traditions, and gender and class boundaries. All readings are in English. AS 229 and ANTH 229 are cross-listed.

This course introduces students to some of the representative works of Chinese literature. More importantly, it helps students understand and reevaluate the concepts of China, Chinese people, and Chinese literature. Discussions include questions such as: "What is China (the Middle Kingdom)?" and "What does it mean to be Chinese?" The works discussed explore a variety of topics, and all highlight the volatile interactions between the representation of Chinese identity and their cultural contexts.

An introduction to a world of visual and intellectual richness of Chinese art. The course will provide a base for the students to understand how the Chinese have viewed themselves and the world through time and how this has been expressed in the visual arts. Various art forms will be discussed chronologically. Within each period the arts are not only analyzed visually and stylistically, but are examined in their cultural, social and political contexts. Offered once a year. ARTH 234 and AS 234 are cross-listed

A study of Chinese painting and the art forms that have long held prestige positions in Chinese art. This course is intended to introduce the students to artistic practices created by both professional artists and scholar-painters. Class lecture and discussion focus on painting, the history of collections, theories on connoisseurship and aesthetics from the 3rd c to modern times. The interplays between painting and poetry, philosophy and politics are emphasized. Ink and brushworks is also analyzed and demonstrated in class. ARTH 235 and AS 235 are cross-listed.

Japanese culture that is depicted in international cinema does not address this society in all its complexity. This course utilizes influential Japanese films whose themes touch on Japanese society in areas such as gender and sexuality, popular culture, politics, crime/deviance, and ethnic identity. The films in this course are utilized as a way into a deeper analysis of Japanese society, not only in comparison to Western culture but also as a means to understand Japan in its own terms.

Survey of Japanese literature, beginning with the creation myth recorded in 712 and continuing to the dramatic arts of the 1600s. Course examines legends, folk tales, fairy tales, poetic anthologies, diaries and fiction. Lecture/ discussion format. Readings in English; no knowledge of Japanese required.

Study of various genres of literature from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) to the present, which includes both "pure" and "popular" works. Genres include diaries, plays, and various kinds of novels such as the "I-novel," lyrical novels and modern thrillers. Seminar format with intensive reading and writing in Japanese and English at an advanced level. Authors to be read include Ishikawa Takuboku, Yasunari Kawbata, Kirino Natsuo, and Murakami Haruki.

Anyone can be a hero—old, young, female, male, and non-human. Through readings on psychology and culture, we study heroic perceptions as we follow the various permutations and intersectionalities of Japanese heroes in literature, film, anime, manga and video games, beginning with a hero first appearing in print in 712 who is still “alive” today in various media. Readings in English. Viewings in Japanese and English. Japanese sources available.

Study of various permutations of the science fiction genre-legends, fairy tales, myths, supernatural and futuristic short stories, and novels. Major emphasis is on Japanese works, with cross-cultural comparisons to offer diverse perspectives. Course focuses on the literary analysis of the individual texts, while exploring the real purpose served by these unreal creations. Reading in English.

Study of traditional Japanese theatre, focusing on Noh, Bunraku Puppet Theatre, and Kabuki from the fourteenth century to the present. The course examines major theories and a variety of representative plays of the three theatrical forms and investigates their artistic, religious, and socio-cultural significances. Emphasis is on adaptation of literary canons, treatment of convention, seminal playwrights, and performance styles. Instruction in performing Noh chanting and dancing unites theory and performance to deepen understandings of the non-western tradition. Readings in English

Examination of a variety of Japanese women writers, genres, and movements ranging from 800 to 2002. Using feminist and other literary criticism, the course analyzes the category Joryubungaku (women's literature) and its import in relation to the Japanese literary canon. Authors include Murasaki Shikibu, Enchi Fumiko, Nogami Yaeko, Machi Tawara, and Yoshimoto Banana. Readings in English.

Students learn and reconstruct what daily life was like in Gettysburg and Tokyo in the 17th–19th centuries using the approaches and methodologies of household archaeology. This course uses different lines of evidence, such as material culture from domestic contexts and textual and scientific evidence from relevant archaeological and historical sites. Students explore various themes, including household composition, production, identity, inequality, cooking, gender relation, and religious faith. AS 252 and ANTH 252 are cross-listed.

This course explores the beliefs, ritual practices, and material culture of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan as well as those of Shugendo, “new religions", myth, folklore, Yokai, and urban legends. It examines how the Shinto- and Buddhism-derived beliefs, practices, and stories are shown in visual media (anime, films, manga, video games). Students learn to critically interpret how these media representations are perceived by the targeted audience in Japan and across the world. AS 253 and REL 253 are cross-listed.

Study of modern literary and cinematic representations of coming of age in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Students examine how characters learn to navigate their worlds, overcome obstacles, and mature. Focal points are: gender; income level, education, and cultural and national history related to internal and external conflict, modernization, occupation, or relocation. Texts include graphic novels, animated films, short stories, novels, and feature films. Readings in English.

Our society has recently been witnessing the advent of risk society, where all citizens, regardless of their geopolitical locations, are vulnerable to the unprecedented scale of risks (i.e., pandemics, nuclear disaster, environmental crisis, and terrorism). In a risk society, where two major pillars of modern society (scientific knowledge and nation-states) exhibit their limitations, citizens are compelled to reexamine their relationships with other citizens, nature, and science and technology. Education, which had propelled modern nations’ economic development by preparing and providing a competitive workforce, must also go through fundamental changes. Using Fukushima nuclear disaster as an example, this course will guide students to examine risks that are relevant to our lives, what it means to live in a risk society, and what educational changes are necessary in the wake of such a societal shift. Multiple types of texts, including scholarly articles, films, literature, and comics, will be used in the course. Students have the option of reading the texts either in English or Japanese. EDUC 261 and AS 261 are cross-listed.

Introduction to Japanese studies as an interdisciplinary subject. Students study a prominent literary text (Tale of Genji or modern novel) and the various literary methods for analysis while also being introduced to other disciplinary methods, including history, art, anthropology, drama, translation studies, women's studies, and religion.

Examination of the cultural development of Japan in various disciplines. Students investigate and analyze the topic from various perspectives using a variety of texts and visual documents to construct a framework that encompasses disciplines such as politics, religion, language and literature, art, and theatre. Students develop an understanding of the research methods and critical theories relevant to these disciplines and the topic, and a mastery of effective communications skills.

This is an introductory Korean Politics course. Starting from the division of Korean peninsula, we analyze the economic development, state repression and coercive institutions in two Koreas. We explore how South Korean citizens pursued democratization through social movements and how North Korea successfully facilitated power succession within one family for three generations. We survey the nuclear weapon development in North Korea and students will simulate the Six Party Talk to deepen their understanding on the issue. Prerequisite: POL 104. AS 273 and POL 273 are cross-listed.

Study of the history, uses, and reshaping of folktales and fairy tales in the oral, literary, and filmic traditions of both the Western world and China. Focus is on the underlying forces and reasons for the radical transformations of these tales in form and meaning; their significant roles in constructing nation, ethnicity, class, gender, and morality; and their nature as an art form of questioning the larger culture. It introduces the methods of narrative analysis and cultural criticism in folktale research.

Study of the literary and bodily encounters between places, people, capital, and cultures in the context of China’s modernization and globalization. Students read historical and contemporary travel writings, view documentary films, and analyze ethnographically-based research to explore what happens on the meeting grounds between "hosts" and "guests" and how these encounters shape landscapes, nation building, ethnic identities, traditions, and gender and class boundaries. All readings are in English. Prerequisites: One of the following courses: ANTH103, ANTH 106, HIST 103, HIST 106, HIST 110, HIST 301, REL 101, or ARTH 131. Cross-listed with Asian Studies.

Survey of Japanese literature beginning with the creation myth recorded in 712 and continuing to the dramatic arts of the 1600s. Course examines legends, folk tales, fairy tales, poetic anthologies, diaries and fiction as well as their modern variations such as video games, anime, manga and film. Lecture/ discussion format. Readings in English; no knowledge of Japanese required. Same course as AS 238 with additional reading and assignments designed for Japanese Studies majors.

Fiction Seminar on the modern Japanese novel from the late Meiji period to the present. Of primary concern is the fictional and psychological portrayal of the changes Japan faces as it emerges from a feudal society to a modern nation. Notions of self, other, gender, class, and race are considered alongside the concepts of modernism, post-modernism, and pure and popular literature. Authors include Tanizaki Junichiro, Oe Kenzaburo, and Murakami Haruki. Readings in English and Japanese

Study of various genres of literature from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) to the present, which includes both "pure" and "popular" works. Genres include diaries, plays, and various kinds of novels such as the "I-novel," lyrical novels and modern thrillers. Seminar format with intensive reading and writing in Japanese and English at an advanced level. Authors to be read include Ishikawa Takuboku, Yasunari Kawbata, Kirino Natsuo, and Murakami Haruki.

Anyone can be a hero—old, young, female, male, and non-human. Through readings on psychology and culture, we study heroic perceptions as we follow the various permutations and intersectionalities of Japanese heroes in literature, film, anime, manga and video games, beginning with a hero first appearing in print in 712 who is still “alive” today in various media. Readings in English. Viewings in Japanese and English. Japanese sources available.

Who Dunnit and Why? Japanese Detective Fiction - Past and Present : Seminar on detective fiction and mysteries and their evolution in Japan from the Taisho period (1912-1926) to present day. From Edogawa Rampo’s short mystery stories to Kirino Natsuo’s modern day novels of crime, students explore the social, political, and historical connections to these "who dunnit" works. Topics of discussion include: narrative technique, style, influence from other literary traditions (east and west), as well as issues of class, gender, and concepts of justice. Prerequisites: AS 265 or 266 and for 343: B or better in a Japan related course; For 403: Junior or senior standing with Japanese Studies major or minor; majors must write their senior thesis as part of the course.

Course examines Japanese works written during and about war and peace from antiquity to present, including some non-Japanese works with interviews of war survivors. Students investigate the social, political, and intellectual background associated with each work while navigating various issues such as sponsorship, censorship, overt propaganda, implicit and explicit political views, and shifts in authorial tone and content over time. Covers all genres including film. 400 level is capstone for Japanese Studies major and thesis and oral presentation are required.

Study of the various permutations of the science fiction genre - legends, fairy tales, myths, supernatural and futuristic short stories and novels. Major emphasis is on Japanese works, yet occasional, cross-cultural comparisons to offer diverse perspectives. Course focuses on the literary analysis of the individual texts, while exploring the real purpose served by these unreal creations. Same course as AS 247 with additional reading and assignments designed for Japanese Studies majors

Advanced study of traditional Japanese theatre, focusing on Noh, Bunraku Puppet Theatre, and Kabuki from the fourteenth century to the present. the course examines major theories and a variety of representative plays of the three theatrical forms and investigates their artistic, religious, and socio-cultural significances. Emphasis is on adaptation of literary canons, treatment of convention, seminal playwrights, and performance styles. Instruction in performing Noh chanting and dancing unites theory and performance to deepen understandings of the non-western tradition. Same as AS 247 with additional readings and assignments designed for Japanese Studies majors

Examination of a variety of Japanese women writers, genres, and movements ranging from 800 to 2002. Using feminist and other literary criticism, inquiry analyzes the category Joryubungaku (women's literature) and its import in relation to the Japanese literary canon. Authors include Murasaki Shikibu, Enchi Fumiko, Nogami Yaeko, Machi Tawara, and Yoshimoto Banana. Readings in English. Same as AS 250 with additional readings and assignments designed for Japanese Studies majors.

Students learn and reconstruct what daily life was like in Gettysburg and Tokyo in the 17th–19th centuries using the approaches and methodologies of household archaeology. This course uses different lines of evidence, such as material culture from domestic contexts and textual and scientific evidence from relevant archaeological and historical sites. Students explore various themes, including household composition, production, identity, inequality, cooking, gender relation, and religious faith.

This course explores the beliefs, ritual practices, and material culture of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan as well as those of Shugendo, “new religions", myth, folklore, Yokai, and urban legends. It examines how the Shinto- and Buddhism-derived beliefs, practices, and stories are shown in visual media (anime, films, manga, video games). Students learn to critically interpret how these media representations are perceived by the targeted audience in Japan and across the world.

Study of modern literary and cinematic representations of coming of age in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Students examine how characters learn to navigate their worlds, overcome obstacles, and mature. Focal points are: gender; income level, education, and cultural and national history related to internal and external conflict, modernization, occupation, or relocation. Texts include graphic novels, animated films, short stories, novels, and feature films. Readings in English.

Fiction Seminar on the modern Japanese novel from the late Meiji period to the present. Of primary concern is the fictional and psychological portrayal of the changes Japan faces as it emerges from a feudal society to a modern nation. Notions of self, other, gender, class, and race are considered alongside the concepts of modernism, post-modernism, and pure and popular literature. Authors include Tanizaki Junichiro, Oe Kenzaburo, and Murakami Haruki. Readings in English and Japanese. For junior/senior Japanese Studies majors, who write their senior thesis as part of the course.

Advanced seminar for the study of various genres of literature from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) to the present, which includes both "pure" and "popular" works. Genres to be read include diaries, plays, and various kinds of novels such as the "I-novel," lyrical novels and modern thrillers. Seminar format with intensive reading and writing in Japanese and English at an advanced level. Authors to be read include Ishikawa Takuboku, Yasunari Kawbata, Kirino Natsuo, and Murakami Haruki. For junior/senior Japanese Studies majors, who write their senior thesis as part of the course.

Who Dunnit and Why? Japanese Detective Fiction - Past and Present : Seminar on detective fiction and mysteries and their evolution in Japan from the Taisho period (1912-1926) to present day. From Edogawa Rampo’s short mystery stories to Kirino Natsuo’s modern day novels of crime, students explore the social, political, and historical connections to these “who dunnit” works. Topics of discussion include: narrative technique, style, influence from other literary traditions (east and west), as well as issues of class, gender, and concepts of justice. Prerequisites: AS 265 or 266 and for 343: B or better in a Japan related course; For 403: Junior or senior standing with Japanese Studies major or minor; majors must write their senior thesis as part of the course.

Course examines Japanese works written during and about war and peace from antiquity to present, including some non-Japanese works with interviews of war survivors. Students investigate the social, political, and intellectual background associated with each work while navigating various issues such as sponsorship, censorship, overt propaganda, implicit and explicit political views, and shifts in authorial tone and content over time. Covers all genres including film. 400 level is capstone for Japanese Studies major and thesis and oral presentation are required.

Individualized tutorial counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F.

Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F.

Individualized tutorial not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded S/U.

Individualized research counting toward the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F.

Individualized Research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor, graded A-F.

Individualized research not counting in the minimum requirements in a major or minor graded S/U