Japanese Life & Culture
Japanese 2750 (CRN 40797 / HC 44973)
Fall 2011 / MW 5:00-6:15 pm / 4202 Dunbar Hall
Dr. Jeffrey Angles (jeffrey.angles@wmich.edu)
Office: 419 Sprau
Tower, TEL 269-387-3044
Office Hours: MW
3:00-4:00 pm or by appt.
Syllabus
& course schedule: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~jangles/courses/japanese2750lifeandculture.htm
E-learning website: http://elearn.wmich.edu
GOALS OF THE CLASS
·
To
provide a survey of Japanese culture and history over the last thousand years
through some of its cultural production (essays, writing, literature, art,
film).
·
To
provide students with a survey of the various periods of Japanese history.
·
To
show Japan's many cultural transformations over the course of history,
especially during the modern period.
·
To
reflect on the ways that Japanese have reflected their personal, religious, and
national experience through cultural production.
·
To
introduce major genres, themes, and styles in the history of Japanese
literature, art, and theater.
·
To
encourage students to develop close reading and empathetic skills.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
·
This
course fulfills the requirements for General Education Area
IV (Other Cultures and Civilizations).
·
This course counts toward the
Japanese minor and the Japanese major.
·
This course may be used (with the
permission of your academic advisor) toward the Global/International Studies
Major, if you have decided to focus on Japan or on Asia.
·
For more information, please consult
with your academic advisor.
Photo: YANAGI Yukinori, Amaterasu and Haniwa (1994)
REQUIRED TEXTS
·
Other
additional, shorter texts will be made available on the e-learning website (http://elearn.wmich.edu).
NOTES ABOUT
REQUIRED TEXTS
·
The
texts above will also be on 2-hour reserve in Waldo Library.
·
When
reading about Japanese history, TAKE NOTES! Make a chart of personal
names and key concepts.
·
When
reading Japanese literature, TAKE NOTES on the roles of characters, setting,
and so on. Be sure to read for detail.
Characterization is often found in detail, setting, and social role.
·
The
instructor has designed this course on the assumption that students do not read
Japanese.
GRADING
Grades will be calculated in the
following fashion.
·
10%
Map exam about Japanese geography
·
10%
Class participation
·
10%
Two quizzes over reading
·
10%
Internet discussion
·
10% Take-home essay
·
25%
Midterm exam
·
25%
Final exam
·
Each
unexcused absence will be -1% from the final grade. (See the section below on attendance.)
The following scale
will be used for grades.
·
A 93-100%
·
BA 90-93%
·
B 83-90%
·
CB 80-83%
·
C 73-80%
·
DC 70-73%
·
D 63%-70%
·
E Below
63%
The
instructor promises to have graded essays and other materials to students
within two weeks after students submitted their work.
Grades
will be visible at all times to students by clicking “My Grades” on the
e-learning website (http://elearn.wmich.edu).
ABOUT CLASS PARTICIPATION
The
instructor requires students to make comments in class, ask questions, and respond
to instructor’s questions in class. At
the end of the semester, students that have participated in class by coming
regularly, raising their hands, asking questions, and providing reflections on
the material will get full credit for the class participation portion of their
grade (10%). Students who come to all classes but say nothing during class will not receive any points for class
participation (0%). The reason for
this policy is to encourage you to participate in your own learning. The more you think about what is being said
and react to it, the more you will get out of the entire experience!
ATTENDANCE
·
You
have two excused absences to use as
you wish. If you’re smart, you will save
these for absolute emergencies. Missing
more than three classes will reduce your final grade by 1% off of the overall
final course grade. Please do NOT be
late. Repeated late absences will also
reduce your final grade.
·
If
you miss more than three classes in a row without informing the professors of
your status, they will assume that you have dropped the course.
ABOUT INTERNET DISCUSSION
Most weeks,
students will be required to read one short story from Japan: A Traveler’s Literary Companion or the other additional
readings then post their thoughts and critical reactions to it to the
e-learning website (http://elearn.wmich.edu). For full credit, students should post at
least one brief, thoughtful paragraph. Postings are due each week on Monday at
noon.
Possible subjects you might write about:
·
In
what ways does the story seem to reflect Japanese culture or historical
experience?
·
Do
you note some differences between Japanese and American culture in the
texts?
·
In
what ways does the story reflect themes or issues that we have talked about in
class?
·
What
images does the story present of the particular place in
·
What
might be the historical background of this story?
·
What
do you think that the author was trying to say in this story? In other words, what themes (big messages) do
you see in the story?
You are encouraged to include personal
thoughts, but not just simple reactions like “I liked it,” “I disliked it,” or
“This is a really good story that kept me reading through to the end.” Such simple reactions will not earn any
credit. Make sure that your posting shows that you read the story and thought
about it! Students are encouraged to
read other people’s postings and react to them.
How to post your discussion to e-learning
·
Log
in at http://elearn.wmich.edu using the
same BroncoNet ID and password you use to check your e-mail.
·
Click
on the section for our class (usually listed as JPNS 2750: Japanese Life and
Culture).
·
Click
on “Discussions” on the left side of the screen.
·
Click
“Create Message” then write your posting.
MAKE-UPS/LATE WORK
·
If
you have to miss the final exam, please contact the professor ahead of time to
make other arrangements. If you miss it
because of illness, calamities in the family, and so on, you will need to
provide documentation.
·
Every
day that an essay or homework is late, the grade will be drop by 25%, provided
that there are no extenuating circumstances. If a paper is four or more
days of the week late, then the work will not be accepted.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
·
At the end of all essays, include a bibliography citing all sources you
have used, including sources on the internet.
“Borrowing” passages from the
internet without citation is plagiarism and is a serious academic offense. For a definition of plagiarism, consult http://catalog.wmich.edu/content.php?catoid=9&page=09_students_rights_and_responsibilties.html.
·
You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the
policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain
to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication,
falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and
computer misuse. [The policies can be found at http://catalog.wmich.edu under Academic Policies,
Student Rights and Responsibilities.] If there is reason to believe you have
been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of
Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If
you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a
hearing. You should consult with your instructor if you are uncertain about an
issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.
·
You are encouraged to access the Code of Honor and general academic
policies on issues as diversity, religious observance, student disabilities,
etc. Those are available on the
following two websites: http://osc.wmich.edu and www.wmich.edu/registrar.
COURSE READINGS & SCHEDULE
·
Please
regularly consult the online version of the syllabus at in order to find your
course readings. This is the official
version of the course schedule. Any
changes announced in class will be posted to the course website.
·
You
should complete the readings BEFORE class and come to class ready to discuss
them.
Key
to abbreviations in schedule
·
JC
= Paul VARLEY, Japanese Culture, 4th updated
edition (Honolulu: Univ. of Hawaii Press, 2000).
·
MJ=
Elise
K. TIPTON, Modern Japan: A Social and
Political History, 2nd edition (NY: Routledge, 2008).
Readings in blue in the following chart are available
electronically as PDFs through the e-learning website.
|
Week 1 |
9/7 (W) |
·
Brief introduction to Japanese geography |
|
Week 2 |
9/12 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JTLC, Inoue
Yasushi, “Under the Shadow of Mt. Bandai,” pp. 44-74. [See instructions in section above about
internet discussion]. ·
JC, Chapter 1 “The Emergence of Japanese
Civilization" pp. 1-18. |
|
9/14 (W) |
·
Quiz in class over Japanese geography (Click here
for the map the quiz will be over.)
·
Reading from e-learning website: Thomas
P. KASULIS, "Chapter 1: Entering through the Torii," from Shinto:
The Way Home (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2004), pp. 8-37. |
|
|
Week 3 |
9/19 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC, Hino
Keizō, “Jacob’s Tokyo Ladder,” pp. 1-15. ·
Reading from e-learning website: “The
Earliest Japanese Chronicles,” in William Theodore DeBARY, et al., Sources of Japanese Tradition, vol. 1: From Earliest Times to
1600 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2001), pp. 13-16. ·
JC, Chapter 2 “The Introduction to Buddhism" pp.
19-47. |
|
9/21 (W) |
·
JC, Chapter 3 “The Court at Its Zenith" pp. 48-76. |
|
|
Week
4 |
9/26 (M) |
·
Reading from e-learning website: MURASAKI
Shikibu, “Kiritsubo: The Paulownia Pavilion” from The Tale of Genji,
vol. 1, trans. Royall Tyler (NY: Viking, 2001), pp. 1-18. ·
Instead of the usual internet discussion this
week, please do Quiz No. 1 due on
e-learning over the reading from The
Tale of Genji by noon. Read the
material before signing onto GoWMU and completing the online quiz under
assessments. You will have one hour to
do the online quiz. |
|
9/28 (W) |
·
Reading from e-learning website: SEI
Shōnagon, The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon, 2 vols. trans. Ivan Morris (NY:
Columbia University Press, 1967, vol.1, pp. 1-19 and 266-268; vol. 2, pp.
1-25 and 193-196. ·
Reading from e-learning website: “Chapter
9: The Vocabulary of Japanese Aesthetics I,” in William Theodore DeBARY, et
al., Sources of Japanese Tradition, vol. 1: From Earliest Times to
1600 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2001), pp. 197-204. |
|
|
Week
5 |
10/3 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over reading from e-learning website: “The Tale of the
Heike,” in William Theodore DeBARY, et al., Sources of Japanese
Tradition, vol. 1: From Earliest Times to 1600 (NY: Columbia University
Press, 2001), pp. 276-280. ·
JC, Chapter 4 “The Advent of a New Age" pp. 77-90. |
|
10/5 (W) |
·
JC, Chapter 5 “The Canons of Medieval Taste" pp.
91-139. |
|
|
10/7 (Fri) |
·
Turn in short take-home essay by 11:59 pm. (See “Assignments” on the e-learning
website) |
|
|
Week
6 |
10/10 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC,
Atōda Takashi, “The Destiny of Shoes,” pp. 126-143. ·
JC, Chapter 6 “The Countries Unified" pp. 140-163. ·
JC, Chapter 7 “The Flourishing of a Bourgeois
Culture," pp. 164-204. |
|
10/12 (W) |
·
JC, Chapter 8
“Heterodox Trends," pp. 205-234. ·
MJ, Chapter 1 “Tokugawa Background,” pp. 1-20. |
|
|
Week
7 |
10/17 (M) |
·
No internet discussion this week. ·
MJ, Chapter 2 “The Mid-Century Crisis,” pp. 21-38. |
|
10/19 (W) |
·
Midterm
Exam. Details to be announced in
class. |
|
|
Week
8 |
10/24 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC, Maruya
Saiichi, “The Obtuse Young Man,” pp. 126-143. ·
MJ, Chapter 3 “The Early Meiji Revolution, pp. 39-58. |
|
10/26 (W) |
·
JC, Chapter 9 “Encounter with the West," pp.
235-270. |
|
|
Week
9 |
10/31 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC, Mizukami
Tsutomu, “One Night with Mother,” pp. 165-178. ·
MJ, Chapter 4 “The 1880s and 1890s,” pp. 59-76. |
|
11/2 (W) |
·
MJ, Chapter 5 “Late Meiji,” pp. 77-92. ·
JC, Chapter 10 “Fruits of Modernity," pp. 271-303. |
|
|
Week
10 |
11/7 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over reading from e-learning website: NATSUME Sōseki,
“The Civilization of Modern-Day Japan” & “My Individualism,” in J. Thomas
RIMER and Van C. GESSEL (eds.), The
Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to
Occupation, 1868-1945 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), pp. 315-334. ·
No additional reading other than the internet
discussion today. |
|
11/9 (W) |
·
MJ, Chapter 6 “An Emerging Mass Society” pp. 93-113. |
|
|
Week
11 |
11/14 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC, Oda
Sakunosuke, “The City of Trees,” pp. 75-94. ·
MJ, Chapter 7 “Contesting the Modern in the 1930s,” pp.
114-131. |
|
11/16 (W) |
·
MJ, Chapter 8, “The Dark Valley” pp. 132-152. |
|
|
Week
12 |
11/21 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC,
Takahashi Mutsuo, “The Snow of Memory,” pp. 190-203. ·
MJ, Chapter 9, “’Enduring the Unendurable’ and Starting
Over in the ‘New’ Japan,” pp. 153-170. |
|
11/23 (W) |
·
Thanksgiving Break! Have a great holiday! |
|
|
Week
13 |
11/28 (M) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC, Shima
Tsuyoshi, “Bones,” pp. 204-223. ·
MJ, Chapter 10 “Conflict and Consensus in the 1950s,”
pp. 171-186. ·
MJ, Chapter 11, “The ‘Economic Miracle’ and its
Underside,” pp. 187-202. |
|
11/30 (W) |
·
MJ, Chapter 12, “The ‘Rich Country’,” pp. 203-220. ·
JC, Chapter 11 “Culture in the Present Age," pp.
304-351. |
|
|
Week
14 |
12/5 (M) |
·
Quiz No.
2 due at 5 pm over MJ, Chapter
12 (The ‘Rich Country’) through Chapter 14 (“Whither Japan?”). Read the chapters before signing onto GoWMU
and completing the online quiz under assessments. You will have one hour to do the online
quiz. ·
Because of the quiz, this weeks’ internet
discussion will be due at noon on Weds.
·
MJ, Chapter 13, “The ‘Lost Decade,’” pp. 221-239. ·
MJ, Chapter 14, “Whither Japan?” pp. 240-260 |
|
12/7 (W) |
·
Internet discussion due at noon over JLTC, Miyamoto
Teru, “The Swallows’ Nest,” pp. 95-116. ·
Reading from e-learning website: Susan J.
NAPIER, Chapter 1: “Why Anime?” and Chapter 2 “Anime and Local/Global
Identity,” in Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke (NY:
Palgrave/Macmillan, 2001), pp. 3-34. |
|
|
Finals |
TBA |
·
Final Exam (Details to be announced) |
|
12/20 (T) |
Grades due at noon |
Updated
September 4, 2011