KUGF Course Guide 2019

9/20

Seminar in Japanology(War and Conflict through JPN Film)This course will draw on Japan's rich film tradition to explore war and conflict in international and domestic contexts during the modern era. Students will critically screen selected films that examine the causes and effects of this larger theme, paying particular attention to the development of the nation-state. Other topics associated with the main theme and related to nation-state building include industrial-ization, identity formation, imperialism, social movements, and modernity. Students should be aware that many of these films deal with mature subject matter and may contain explicit language and adult content. All films will be shown in Japanese (with English subtitles).2 creditsSpring SemesterJapanese ReligionThis will be an exploration of the religious traditions of Japan, their historical development as well as their role in contemporary society. Much attention shall be paid to Shinto, which comes closest to being the “indigenous” Japanese religion, and Buddhism, the global faith that began in India and entered Japan in the 6th century. We will also touch upon the roles of Confucianism, Christianity, and so-called New Religions.An attempt will be made to cover the social, artistic, philosophical, and doctrinal characteristics of these religions, and thus we will be looking at their artistic and literary expressions as well as reading classic and contem-porary texts.There will be reading material for each week, including classic texts in English translation as well as more recent scholarly articles. Classes will be a mixture of lecture by the instructor and class discussion, so students should come prepared to engage in discussion each week.2 creditsFall SemesterJapanese Law and PoliticsThe aim of this class is to understand basic elements of Japanese law and politics focusing on the constitution, historical development, institutions and actors, and contemporary political issues. Students are encouraged to bring their daily observations of Japanese law and politics in the class and exchange their ideas from comparative perspectives.2 creditsSpring SemesterComparative Asian Cultures StudiesThis is a survey course that introduces students to the cultures of Japan, China, and Korea. The course does not assume prior knowledge of the languages or cultures of East Asia; it provides a general background for further study. Excerpts from a variety of sources will be used as reading material. Students are expected to read the handouts before coming to class in order to participate in class discussion.2 creditsSpring SemesterSeminar in Japanology(Japanese Budo: An Intro. to Kendo)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 sports, but also as a pursuit for spiritual development and enlighten-ment. This course will offer the student an insight into the history of the Japanese martial arts with actual hands-on experience. The first three lectures will be conducted in the classroom and the remainder will be conducted in the gymnasium where students will be given an introduction into the art of kendo. Each class will commence with a lecture on an important concept followed with a practical lesson. Schedule permitting, the students will be given the opportu-nity to sit in an actual grading examination.2 creditsSpring SemesterSeminar in Japanology(The Japanese Language and Society)　In this seminar, we are going to cover various topics relating to the Japanese language and society, such as dialects, gender, honorifics, all of which you may often encounter in your daily life in Japan. In order to understand these topics, it is not enough to examine the language system, which is composed of phonology, morphology and syntax, because the language system functions only in relation to its speak-ers and the society where it is spoken. This academic discipline which tackles the relationship between language and society is called sociolinguistics. You will be encour-aged to share your own experiences and observations with regard to the Japanese language.2 creditsSpring SemesterFall SemesterCourse Guide 20197