Introduction to the modern standard Japanese language. Emphasis on developing proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, using basic expressions and sentence patterns. Four 75-minute classes plus one blended learning session.

Units: 1.25

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: None

Instructor: Maeno

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes:

Introduction to the modern standard Japanese language. Emphasis on developing proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, using basic expressions and sentence patterns. Four 75-minute classes plus one blended learning session.

Units: 1.25

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 101 or equivalent.

Instructor: Maeno

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Continuation of JPN 101-JPN 102. The first semester will emphasize further development of listening and speaking skills with more complex language structures as well as proficiency in reading and writing. The second semester will emphasize reading and writing skills. Four 75-minute classes plus one blended learning session.

Units: 1.25

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 101-JPN 102 or placement by the department.

Instructor: Torii-Williams

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes:

Continuation of JPN 101-JPN 102. The first semester will emphasize further development of listening and speaking skills with more complex language structures as well as proficiency in reading and writing. The second semester will emphasize reading and writing skills. Four 75-minute classes plus one blended learning session.

Units: 1.25

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 201 or placement by the department.

Instructor: Torii-Williams

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

This course is designed for the students who have completed the second year of Japanese (JPN 201-JPN 202). Each lesson introduces you to practical vocabulary items, grammatical structures, and cultural orientations that give you the ability to discuss such topics in a more advanced and culturally appropriate manner. Throughout the course, the development of more fluent speech and stronger literacy will be emphasized by studying more complex and idiomatic expressions. Acquisition of an additional few hundred kanji characters will be part of the course. The class will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Three classes per week.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 201-JPN 202 or placement by the department.

Instructor: Torii-Williams

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes:

A continuation of JPN 231, this course further develops literacy in Japanese. Students focus on intensive reading of various styles of written Japanese, writing on different topics, and development of fluent oral skills. Japanese movies will be used for reinforcement of grammar and for discussion. Class discussion will be conducted entirely in Japanese. Three classes per week.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 231 or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Torii-Williams

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor.

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Spring

Units: 0.5

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor.

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Spring

This course explores Japanese literature from the seventh to the nineteenth centuries––including myths, poetry, narrative romances, diaries, essays, military tales, Noh drama, haiku, puppet plays, kabuki, and ghost stories––then traces its modern afterlife to film, television, and manga. Students will develop a critical and historically grounded appreciation of Japan's rich and varied literary tradition by analyzing it in light of such topics as religious practice, aesthetic ideals, dreams, desire, subjectivity, Chinese influence, the supernatural, war, gender, and sexuality.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 30

Crosslisted Courses: JPN 251

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: Goree

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature; ARS - Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Film and Video

Typical Periods Offered: Fall and Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

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:

This course offers an introduction to modern Japanese literature and media (in translation) from the 1890s to the present, covering materials including poetry, novels, short stories, photography, and film. Through close readings of selected works, we will address social, cultural and philosophical issues in the context of the historical transformations over the past hundred and fifty years. We will trace a variety of responses to questions of identity formation for the self and the nation, modernism and colonialism, communal expression and activism, gender, trauma and memory, nature and the environment, and the transformation of media ecologies in postwar and contemporary Japan. No previous knowledge of Japanese literature, culture, or history is expected or assumed. All readings are presented in English translation. Students with Japanese language ability are, however, encouraged to read original texts if they so wish.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 30

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: C. Ward

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

Many contemporary Japanese novelists, beginning with Murakami Haruki, have been criticized for writing in language that sounds foreign to a domestic audience—more “translationese” than Japanese. Indeed, many contemporary Japanese authors live outside Japan, write in other languages in addition to Japanese, and/or come from minority backgrounds within Japan that have complicated relationships to standardized Japanese. In this course we will read contemporary works of Japanese literature through the lens of translation as both a readerly and writerly practice, as well as a means by which to think through how we define the boundaries of a given language or national literature. We will engage with short stories, poetry, screenplays, criticism and novels to examine how writers use different linguistic registers, genres, and formal techniques to explore questions of community, identity, gender, and even language itself. In addition, we will look at some theoretical and historical approaches to the study of translation in Japan as necessary background for these discussions. We will also think about how adaptation—across literary traditions or genres—relates to translation. While works examined in this course may themselves be read in English translation, students with advanced Japanese are encouraged to read in the original.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 30

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: C. Ward

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

A critical exploration of popular culture in Japan from its isolation in the 1600s to its globalization today. Topics include advertising, anime, architecture, art, fashion, film, food, games, literature, magazines, manga, music, performance, sports, television, and travel. Students engage directly with these topics by analyzing cultural phenomena, from geisha to baseball, in light of historical and theoretical perspectives drawn from the disciplines of literary criticism, cultural studies, film studies, and anthropology—all in an effort to understand Japan through patterns of consumption, cultural memory, gender, media, national identity, race, and sexuality. The course demonstrates the complexity and appeal of what is arguably the major alternative to American popular culture. No prior background in Japanese is required; all readings are in English translation.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 30

Prerequisites:

Instructor: Goree

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature; ARS - Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Film and Video

Typical Periods Offered: Fall and Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

Japan enjoyed tremendous political stability under samurai rule for 265 years before opening up to the West in the late 19th century. Far from static, however, this era, known as the Edo period (1603-1868), was one of dynamic economic growth, social change, intellectual ferment, and artistic experimentation, when a vibrant urban culture emerged and spread to cities and villages across the Japanese archipelago. Many of the things we associate with traditional Japanese culture today, including haiku, kabuki, sumo, geisha, sushi, manga, and the samurai ethos, emerged or developed into maturity at this time. This course introduces students to Edo Japan by way of its rich visual and literary cultures, with particular emphasis on the representation of sexuality, gender, violence, honor, and otherworldly phenomena. No knowledge of Japan or Japanese required.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: Goree

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes: Ann E. Maurer '51 Speaking Intensive Course.

When we think of new media, we usually think of global technology and the digital realm. But what makes media “new”? How have local contexts shaped the development, spread, and experience of what we now think of as “global” media? This course looks at emerging forms of media in Japan—from the mid-19th century through present day—including newspapers and magazines, radio, television, the Walkman, robotics, video games, mobile phones, augmented reality, and social media. Each week pairs a primary media object with critical/analytical pieces that analyze the cultural, economic, political, and technological forces specific to Japan that shaped larger conversations about these new media forms—their potential benefit and harm, and how they fit into our past, present, and future. While thinking about local contexts in order to challenge our assumptions about globalized media, we will ultimately broaden our scope to think about transnational questions of media infrastructure, digital life, and techno-orientalism. No previous knowledge of film and media studies, or Japan and Japanese language, is required.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: Ward

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

In this course, students will read original works of short fiction and essays in Japanese by well-known contemporary authors. We will explore various genres and popular themes in Japanese literature and look at authors' styles and voice. The course will be completely in Japanese except when translation into English takes center stage. In either case, the major emphasis will be on discussion of the works in class. Through these works, students will also be introduced to advanced Japanese grammar, expressions, patterns, kanji, and vocabulary.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 232 or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Goree

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

This course aims to achieve advanced level fluency through current news articles and broadcast news in Japanese. Students will learn a wide range of vocabulary and expressions through class discussions, presentations and individual writing projects.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 232 or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Maeno

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

Students read and discuss contemporary fiction by women in Japanese as they improve reading and speaking skills, and learn how to translate fiction from Japanese to English. Weekly translation exercises and periodic translation workshops build confidence as students develop their own translation style. For the final project, students choose a contemporary short story and translate it in collaboration with the instructor. Class conducted in English. Two weekly meetings plus individual meetings with instructor.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: JPN 232 or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Zimmerman

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall

Notes:

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Open to juniors and seniors.

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Spring

Units: 0.5

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor.

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Spring

With the lifting of state censorship in the postwar period, Japanese writers and artists broke new ground, wrestling with the legacy of the war (Oe Kenzaburo, Mizuki Shigeru), upending gender norms (Kono Taeko, Uchida Shungiku), unveiling less visible aspects of Japanese society (Nakagami Kenji, Yu Miri), or even forging new modes of representation (Murakami Haruki). Drawing on fiction, manga, and film, we embed texts in their historical and social contexts, listening for the "hum of the times." No Japanese required.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 15

Prerequisites: One course on Japan, or permission of the instructor.

Instructor: Zimmerman

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered

Notes:

The fiction of the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami has often been described as being closer to “American literature” than to the modern Japanese literary canon. His official website even names Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan as “influences.” In this course, we will test that assumption, holding Murakami’s work up against the mirror of Japanese short fictions from 1900-2022. Moving chronologically, we read broadly, covering half of Murakami’s major novels, as well as a dozen short fictional and non-fictional works. Given that Murakami’s work has been translated into 50 languages, we also explore how translation practices shape reception. From Japanese to Polish to Chinese, we explore the multiple worlds—and world-making practices-- of Haruki Murakami. We also study two films that are based on his work. Taught in English, no knowledge of Japanese is necessary.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: One literature course from English, Comparative Literature, EALC, or any language department.

Instructor: Zimmerman

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes:

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 25

Prerequisites: Permission of the department.

Instructor:

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring; Fall

Notes: Students enroll in Senior Thesis Research (360) in the first semester and carry out independent work under the supervision of a faculty member. If sufficient progress is made, students may continue with Senior Thesis (370) in the second semester.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 10

Prerequisites: JPN 360 and permission of the department.

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Fall

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Fall; Spring

Notes: Students enroll in Senior Thesis Research (360) in the first semester and carry out independent work under the supervision of a faculty member. If sufficient progress is made, students may continue with Senior Thesis (370) in the second semester.