Japan: Its Culture and Heritage. AEAJ170, Course #8061. Fall 2013

Transcription

1 Japan: Its Culture and Heritage AEAJ170, Course #8061 Fall 2013 Instructor: Jeffrey DuBois Class meetings: MWF 10:25AM- 11:20AM, HU124 Office hours: MW 12:30-1:30pm and by appointment E- mail: Course description: This course serves as a general introduction to themes relevant to the study of Japanese culture from varied perspectives that cut across fields of literature, drama, aesthetics, religion, history, anthropology and beyond. With a broad agenda that spans from the earliest traces of civilization of the people inhabiting the Japanese archipelago to the present, the course must be selective in its material omitting what other mights consider essential to the study of Japan and should be understood as but one narrative for conceptualizing Japan. We will work with both primary materials in translation and secondary sources that give context to the material, considering the question of what is Japanese culture both from the perspective of the people of Japan, including its ethnic minorities, and those outside of it. As a class that fulfills the General Education category of International Perspectives, it aims to teach an understanding of the culture of Japan though: a) Knowledge of Japan s distinctive cultural and historical features b) Understanding of the region from the perspective of its peoples c) Ability to analyze and contextual relevant cultural and historical materials d) Ability to locate and identify distinctive geographical features of the region General Education Information This course fulfills the General Education categories of International Perspectives and Humanities. More information about Gen Ed courses can be found here: Required texts (available at both the University Bookstore and Mary Jane Books): 1. Addiss, Stephen, et al, ed. Traditional Japanese Arts And Culture: An Illustrated Sourcebook. Honolunu: University of Hawaii Press, (TJAC)

2 2. Sugimoto, Yoshio, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Japanese Culture. New York: Cambridge University Press, (CCMJC) ** All other required readings will be posted to Blackboard (listed as BB on the syllabus). Grading policies: Participation 20% Weekly Reading responses 20% Mid- term exam 15% Final exam 25% Paper (5-6 pages) 20% Participation will be determined by attendance and productive contribution to discussion classes. Reading must be completing PRIOR to class on the date listed on the syllabus. Reading responses (RR), one page each, will be assigned ten times during the semester, and you complete eight of them to receive full credit. The responses should a) give a brief overview of the text, b) provide your response, and c) ask a question that can promote classroom discussion. Please print out your response and bring it to class having this on hand will aid in your participation. The paper must be submitted on the date due, and every day late will result in a 1/3 rd letter- grade reduction (e.g. If an A- paper is submitted two days late, it will be graded as a B). Grades are based on a percentage scale: =A; 92-90=A- ; 87-89=B+; 83-86=B; 80-82=B - ; 77-79=C+; 73-76=C; 70-72=C- ; 67-69=D+; 63-66=D; 60-62=D- ; 0-59=E Grades will not be curved, and no extra credit will be given. An incomplete will only be considered in cases of emergency and will require written documentation. If you have questions and concerns about your grade, or external circumstances that you are worried may affect it, please consult with me in advance. You may use laptops or tablets to take notes and reference electronic readings during class. However, you may not abuse the privilege to perform non- class- related activities such as browsing the internet, using social media, etc. Cell phones must be silenced and may not be used for any purpose during class. Inappropriate device usage will result in a lower participation grade.

3 Lecture and discussion theme Reading (to be read BEFORE class) WEEK 1 8/26 M Introduction 8/28 W Culture CCMJC, Chap. 1, pg /30 F Early Japan, Nara TJAC, pg. 9-24, Plates 1-13 WEEK 2: MYTHS 9/2 M Labor Day: NO CLASS 9/4 W Myths, formation of the land, maps 9/6 F Rosh Hashanah: NO CLASS WEEK 3: RELIGION 9/9 M Shintō Rituals 9/11 W Buddhism in Japan TJAC, /13 F Written texts, the Japanese language BB: Readable Japanese Mythology, pg RR#1 DUE TJAC, CCMJC, Chap. 3, pg RR#2 DUE WEEK 4: COURTLY JAPAN 9/16 M Heian Literature TJAC, /18 W Genji in words and scrolls TJAC, 48-52, Plate 14 BB: Excerpt from Tale of Genji 9/20 F Pillow Book TJAC, BB: Excerpt from Pillow Book RR#3 DUE WEEK 5: AESTHETICS 9/23 M Gardens, landscape TJAC, Plate /25 W Tea Ceremony, Rikyū TJAC, BB: Ueda, Rikyū: Life as Art, /27 F Architecture BB: Excerpt from Taut, Fundamentals of Japanese Architecture RR#4 DUE WEEK 6: WARRIOR JAPAN 9/30 M Tale of Heike TJAC, BB: Excerpts from Tale of Heike 10/2 W Loyal Retainers BB: Excerpts from 47 Samurai 10/4 F Code of Bushido BB: Excerpts from Bushido: The Soul of Japan RR#5 DUE (write on any reading from this week) WEEK 7: EDO CULTURE 10/7 M Social classes, Basho TJAC, BB: Excerpts from Narrow Road to the Interior

4 10/9 W Ukiyo, Saikaku TJAC, BB: Excerpts from Eternal Storehouse of Japan RR#6 DUE 10/11 F National Learning TJAC, BB: Susan Burns, Before the Nation, pg WEEK 8 10/14 M Columbus Day: NO CLASS 10/16 W Meiji Restoration 10/18 F Fukuzawa Yukichi BB: Excerpt from An Encouragement of Learning RR#7 DUE WEEK 9: PROJECTING OUTWARD 10/21 M Nitobe Inazo, Okakura Tenshin BB: Fukuzawa Yukichi, Out of Asia BB: Excerpt from Okakura, Ideals of the East 10/23 W Japanese Empire, maps BB: Mark Selden, Japanese and American War Atrocities 10/25 F IN CLASS MIDTERM WEEK 10: DEFEAT 10/28 M Reframing Japan BB: Emperor Hirohito s Declaration of Humanity 10/30 W Anthropological Gaze BB: Excerpt from Ruth Benedict, Chrysanthemum and the Sword 11/1 F Postwar literature BB: Nosaka Akiyuki, American Hijiki RR#8 DUE WEEK 11: JAPANESENESS 11/4 M Two Nobel Prize Speeches BB: Kawabata, Japan, the Beautiful, and Myself BB: Ōe, Japan, the Ambiguous, and Myself 11/6 W Amae, Climate and Culture CCMJC, Chap. 2, pg BB: Excerpt from Doi Takeo, The Anatomy of Dependence 11/8 F Olympics, Expo, and Architecture RR# 9 DUE (on any reading from the week) WEEK 12: GENDER, RACE, NATION 11/11 M Nation as family CCMJC, Chap. 4, pg /13 W Minorities CCMJC, Chap. 10, pg /15 F Multi- ethnicity RR# 10 DUE (on either reading) WEEK 13: POP CULTURE 11/18 M Manga BB: Excerpts from Tezuka Osamu manga 11/20 W Anime: Ghibli and beyond CCMJC, Chap. 13, pg (Screen Millennium Actress for half of class) 11/22 F Anime (Screen Millennium Actress for half of class)

5 WEEK 14 11/25 M Harajuku culture PAPER ABSTRACT AND OUTLINE DUE 11/27 W Thanksgiving: NO CLASS 11/29 F Thanksgiving: NO CLASS WEEK 15: HYPERMODERN JAPAN 12/2 M Technology and economy CCMJC, Chap. 7, pg /4 W Otaku, Kitsch and loss BB: Excerpt from Hiroki Azuma, Otaku: Japan s Animal Database (Watch parts of Tokyo- ga in class) 12/6 F Japan in the world CCMJC, Chap. 19, pg WEEK 16 12/9 M Review, reflect, discuss FINAL PAPER DUE IN CLASS 12/16 FINAL EXAM: 3:30PM- 5:30PM