KUGF Course Guide 2018

10/20

Module 4Japan StudiesSeminar in Japanology(Japanese Budo: An Intro. to Naginata)The most visible vestige of samurai culture remaining in Japan today is budo the traditional martial arts. Considering the tremendous international popularity of martial arts such as judo and karate, budo is undoubtedly one of Japan’s most successful cultural exports. People around the world practice these arts not only for self-defence or as a sport, but also as a pursuit for spiritual development and enlightenment. A relatively unknown traditional Japanese martial art is Naginata. The naginata is a weapon comprising of a wooden shaft approximately 1.2 to 2.4 meters in length with a curved blade (30 to 60 centimetres) attached to the end. It was the principal weapon of foot soldiers from the eleventh until the fifteenth centuries, and was also widely used by warrior-monks. With the onset of peace in the seventeenth century, Naginata became established as a martial art primarily studied by women. It survives today as an exciting sport and budo discipline similar in many ways to kendo, but also retains many distinguishing characteristics.This course will offer the student an insight into the history of the Japanese martial arts with actual hands-on experience. Naginata classes will be conducted in the gym. Each class will commence with a lecture on an important concept in Naginata followed with a practical lesson.2 creditsFall Semester2 creditsFall SemesterJapanese Economy(Topics in Japanese Economy and Discussion)While looking at the development of Japan’s post-WWⅡ political economy, this course especially focuses on policy-related issues in the Japanese economy and financial markets since the 1990s. Japan’s transition from the high-growth period to a matured economy around the end of the 1970s, trade disputes with advanced industrial economies and international economic coordination in the 1970s and 80s, the bursting of the bubble/ financial crisis/ and economic stagnation in the 1990s, and recent economic reforms during the Koizumi and Abe governments are key events to be analyzed and discussed.2 creditsFall SemesterJapanese SocietyThis course introduces students to important issues in contemporary Japanese society. Topics covered include demographic and generational variations; business and the workplace; education; gender and ethnicity; the political system; popular culture; and social control and dissent. Neighborhoods, communities, and rituals will also be covered.KANSAI UNIVERSITY GLOBAL FRONTIER8