Japan
Shohei Imamura’s BLACK RAIN (1988) 123 minutes With an Introduction by Professor John Treat (East Asian Languages & Literatures)
The groups and individuals who have come together under the slogan “women against nukes” (原発いらない女たち) have emerged as one of the most articulate and strategic voices against nuclear power, but also against capital and state exploitation; their voices are some of the few from Tohoku (as opposed to those from the Tokyo-based demonstrations) that have been heard in a national and even international arena. The first part of this talk sketches some of the ways that this rhetoric allowed women, especially in Fukushima, to form political networks through digital media. These networks have become...
In his recent monograph from Harvard University Press, Writing War, Moore analyzed over two hundred diaries by Japanese, Chinese, and American servicemen from the Asia-Pacific Theater of the Second World War. Reading closely texts in manuscript, self-published, and commercially published form, Moore explains what diaries can tell us about subjectivity in America, China, and Japan, and the experience of ‘total war.’ Addressing thorny issues such as privacy, reliability, and the boundaries between language and experience, Moore will conclude the talk by discussing his new project on the wartime...
Close analytical reading of a selection of texts from the Nara through Tokugawa period: prose, poetry, and various genres. Introduction of kanbun.
Introduction to the grammar and style of the premodern literary language (bungotai) through a variety of texts.
Japan experienced a lot of wars in the 20th century. From the Russo-Japanese war through the Manchurian Incident, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Pacific War, what was the typical correspondence between different religions in Japan, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Shinto, to the war? Did they support and justify the war or did they oppose it? What did the Japanese Army and Government think about religion? Was religion used to protect the freedom of Japanese citizens or as a means of control and war mobilization? This lecture will explore these actual conditions, structures, and doctrines...
By the sixteenth century variolation to prevent smallpox was an elaborate and fairly well known medical technique in China. By the middle of the nineteenth century, knowledge of this procedure had spread to several countries in East and Southeast Asia, including Japan and Vietnam. There is evidence that techniques used in Chinese style variolation shaped the practice of vaccination by indigenous vaccinators in Japan after the Dutch introduced vaccinia and the techniques associated with its use and propagation from the Dutch East Indies. Indeed, viable vaccinia was finally, after decades of...
Introduction to the grammar and style of the premodern literary language (bungotai) through a variety of texts.
A survey of Japan’s transformation over the course of the nineteenth century from an isolated, traditional society on the edge of northeast Asia to a modern imperial power. Aspects of political, social, and cultural history.
Two-term directed research project under the supervision of a ladder faculty member. Students should write essays using materials in East Asian languages when possible. Essays should be based on primary material, whether in an East Asian language or English. Summary of secondary material is not acceptable.
Preparation of a one-term senior essay under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Students must receive the prior agreement of the director of undergraduate studies and of the faculty member who will serve as the senior essay adviser. Students must arrange to meet with that adviser on a regular basis throughout the term.
Preparation of a one-term senior essay under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Students must receive the prior agreement of the director of undergraduate studies and of the faculty member who will serve as the senior essay adviser. Students must arrange to meet with that adviser on a regular basis throughout the term.
Close analytical reading of a selection of texts from the Nara through the Tokugawa periods: prose, poetry, and various genres. Introduction to kanbun.
Continuation of JAPN 110, with supplementary materials such as excerpts from television shows, anime, and songs. Introduction of 150 additional kanji.
Close reading of modern Japanese writing on current affairs, social science, history, and literature. Development of speaking and writing skills in academic settings, including formal speeches, interviews, discussions, letters, e-mail, and expository writing. Interviews of and discussions with native speakers on current issues. Individual tutorial sessions provide speaking practice.
Advanced language course that further develops proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Reading and discussion materials include works by Nobel Prize winners. Japanese anime and television dramas are used to enhance listening and to develop skills in culturally appropriate speech. Writing of essays, letters, and criticism solidifies grammar and style. Individual tutorial sessions improve conversational skills.
Continued development in both written and spoken Japanese. Aspects of Japanese culture, such as history, art, religion, and cuisine, explored through text, film, and animation. Online audio and visual aids facilitate listening, as well as the learning of grammar and kanji. Individual tutorial sessions improve conversational skills.
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