This course explores Japanese culture from prehistoric times to the present through the complex patterns of meaning associated with trees. Students examine how trees and forests appear in fiction, poetry, myth, folklore, visual art, maps, and Buddhist philosophy; how trees and wooden material culture shape everyday life, ritual practice, and gardens; how forests have been managed and understood over time; and how different tree species have migrated from China and Korea to Japan and from Japan to Wellesley’s campus—inviting reflection on what it means to call a tree “Japanese.” Through close reading of primary texts and secondary scholarship across multiple disciplines, students develop humanistic methods of interpretation while also undertaking sustained first-hand observation of tree species associated with Japan in the Hunnewell Arboretum. As they learn to identify key botanical characteristics, students come to know trees as ecologically embedded organisms through attentional practices including haiku composition, drawing, and meditation.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites: None

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Fall and Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes: