In 1776, the Japanese writer Ueda Akinari set down a famous collection of ghost stories entitled Tales of Moonlight and Rain. Beginning with this collection, we will explore how representations of the supernatural were both embedded in and transformed by discourses of modernity. Throughout the twentieth century, writers such as Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Izumi Kyoka, and Enchi Fumiko kept the supernatural strand alive. In tales of the fantastic and the strange, they also made trenchant commentary on the state of their society. We read (and contrast) literary and visual texts to explore alternative visions of Japan's rush to modernize.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: Zimmerman

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes: