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Modernity in Japan

Carole Schroeder, Adjunct Faculty, Asian & European History

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Crane paintingRequired Texts

  1. Marius B. Jansen:  Japan and Its World, Two Centuries of Change, (Princeton University Press, 1995);
  2. Norio Tamaki:  Yukichi Fukuzawa 1835-1901, The Spirit of Enterprise in Modern Japan, (New York:  Palgrave Publishing, 2001);
  3. Natsume Soseki:  Kokoro, (Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 1957);
  4. Gerrit W. Gong, Ed.: Memory and History in East and Southeast Asia, (Washington D.C.: Center for Strategic and International Studies Press, 2001);
  5. Peter Duus: The Japanese Discovery of America, A Brief History with Documents, (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Books, 1997);
  6. John W. Dower:  Embracing Defeat, Japan in the Wake of World War II, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999).

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Tiger painting

Japan’s roots of modernity are located within its past, especially in the 17th & 18th centuries. We will start then and follow the development of modernity in Japan through the present. In this class, over the course of the semester, students will read the six assigned texts plus readings on reserve.  Next students will write (and present in class) seven, two-page minimum, three page maximum reaction papers incorporating the assigned text and the reserve reading.  I will assign two grades to each reaction paper, one for “form” (accuracy in grammar, spelling, organization and punctuation) and one for “content” (how well you analyzed and reacted to the readings.)  By definition, the reaction papers are your reaction to the readings.  Several tips:  avoid the word “interesting.”  Use phrases like, “In my opinion,” “I particularly enjoyed/didn’t enjoy…”, “I believe…”, “I saw the common theme of ___ in these readings,” “My reaction was…”, “Historically I think…”  Notice that the word “I” is prominent in a reaction paper.  This also helps to ensure that you use the active voice instead of the passive voice in your writing; the active voice is much more effective.

I will divide the class into three sections, and each section will have different reserve readings.  On the day assigned for paper presentations, we will randomly go around the room and have each student summarize the high points of his or her reaction paper.

Students will have the option of which reaction paper to expand into a 7 – 9 page research paper (minimum 3 additional books and 3 additional journal articles to be incorporated as sources in the paper.)  The final research paper is due on Friday, May 9.

Grade Breakdown:

7 reaction papers 50%; final research paper 40%; attendance/class participation 10%.

Schedule of Classes and Readings

Week #1

  1. Review syllabus and course objectives
  2. Begin reading Preface, Intro & Chapter 1,  Japan and its World, Two Centuries of Change and reserve reading
  3. (No paper due on Week #1)

Week #2

  1. Finish reading & complete reaction paper (paper #1) on Japan and its World, Two Centuries of Change, Intro & Chapter 1and reserve reading
  2. (no paper due on Week #2)

Week #3

  1. Paper presentations, paper #1 due
  2. Begin reading Japan and its World, Two Centuries of Change, Chapters 2 & 3 and reserve reading

Week #4

  1. Finish reading & complete reaction paper (paper #2) on Japan and its World, Two Centuries of Change, Chapters 2 & 3 and reserve reading
  2. (no paper due on Week #4)

Week #5

  1. Paper presentations, paper #2 due
  2. Begin reading first half, Preface – P. 107 Yukichi Fukuzawa, 1835-1901, The Spirit of Enterprise in Modern Japan and reserve reading

Week #6

  1. Finish reading & complete reaction paper (paper #3) on Yukichi Fukuzawa, 1835-1901, The Spirit of Enterprise in Modern Japan and reserve reading
  2. (no paper due on Week #6)

Week #7

  1. Paper presentations, paper #3 due
  2. Begin reading second half, P. 108 – 181 Yukichi Fukuzawa, 1835-1901, The Spirit of Enterprise in Modern Japan and reserve reading

Week #8

  1. Finish reading second half, P. 108 – 181 Yukichi Fukuzawa, 1835-1901, The Spirit of Enterprise in Modern Japan and reserve reading
  2. (no paper due Week #8)

Week #9

  1. Paper presentations, paper #4 due
  2. Begin reading Kokoro and reserve reading

Week #10

  1. Finish reading Kororo and reserve reading
  2. (no paper due Week #10)

Week #11
Week #12

  1. Paper presentations, paper #5 due
  2. Begin reading Memory & History in East and Southeast Asia, Preface, Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11

Week #13
Film Week:

  1. “Ji Mao Xin”, The Little Messenger, 1954 China
  2. Know Your Enemy:  Japan, 1944, U.S.
  3. Finish Paper #6, Memory & History in East and Southeast Asia and two films
  4. (no paper due Week #13)

Week #14

  1. Paper presentations, paper #6 due
  2. Begin Embracing Defeat, Japan in the Wake of WW II

Week #15

  1. Continue Paper #7, Embracing Defeat, Japan in the Wake of WW II
  2. (no paper due Week #15)

Week #16

  1. Paper presentations, paper #7 due
  2. Decide on which reaction paper to expand into a 7 – 9 page research paper (minimum 3 additional books and 3 additional journal articles to be incorporated as sources in the paper.)

Week #17

  1. Finish research paper; due Friday, May 9, beginning of class, in final form
  2. Friday, May 9 class presentations of final research paper

Sources, Reserve reading: 1.  The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume D; 2.  The Japanese Discovery of America (required book but divided); 3.  Confucius Lives Next Door; 4.  Edo & Paris, Urban Life & the State in the Early Modern Era; 5.  The Taming of the Samurai;

Reserve Reading Schedule

Week 1 Begin Reading;
Paper #1 presentations
The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume D
Group A:  pages 582-590;
Group B:  pages  629-648;
Group C:  pages  591-603.

Week 3 Begin Reading;
Paper #2 presentations
Edo & Paris; Urban Life & the State in the Early Modern Era – Group A: Chapter 2, Pages 41 – 67;
Confucius Lives Next Door -Group B: Chapter 4,  Pages 91-126;
Edo & Paris; Urban Life & the State in the Early Modern Era – Group C: Chapter 1, Pages 3 – 38

Week 5  Begin Reading;
Paper #3 presentations
(required book, not reserve) The Japanese Discovery of America
Group A: Chap. 6, pages 145 – 167;
Group B:  Chap. 7, pages 168 – 185;
Group C: Chap. 8, pages 185 – 204

Week 7 Begin Reading;
Paper #4 presentation
(required book, not reserve) The Japanese Discovery of America
Group A: Chap. 4, pages 90 – 116;
Group B:  Chap. 5, pages 117 – 144;
Group C: Chap. 8, pages  184 -200

Week 9 Begin Reading; Paper #5 presentation
The Taming of the Samurai
Group A:  Pages 360-378;
Group B:  Pages  15-38;
Group C:  Pages 223-240

Week 14;
Paper #6 presentation
No reserve reading; 2 films though

Week 16;
Paper #7 presentation
No reserve reading

Week 17;
Final research paper presentation
No reserve reading
Complete citations, reserve readings:
Sarah Lawall, Ed.:  The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Volume D, (New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 1984)

James L. McClain, Ed.:  Edo & Paris; Urban Life & the State in the Early Modern Era, (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1994)

T. R. Reid:  Confucius Lives Next Door, (New York:  Random House, 1999)

Eiko Ikegami:  The Taming of the Samurai, (Cambridge, Massachusetts:  Harvard University Press, 1995)

From the Wei chih (History of the Kingdom of Wei), c. 297 A.D.

“The people of Japan dwell in the middle of the ocean on mountainous islands.  Their land is warm and mild.  In winter as in summer the people live on raw vegetables and go about barefooted.  They live in houses; father and mother, elder and younger, sleep separately.

They serve food on bamboo and wooden trays, helping themselves with their fingers.  When a person dies, they prepare a single coffin, without an outer one.  They cover the graves with earth to make a mound.  When death occurs, mourning is observed for more than ten days, during which period they do not eat meat.  The head mourners wail and lament, while friends sing, dance, and drink liquor.  When the funeral is over, all wail and lament, while friends sing, dance, and drink liquor.  When the funeral is over, all members of the family go into the water to cleanse themselves in a bath of purification.

In their meetings and in their deportment, there is no distinction between father and son or between men and women.  They are fond of liquor.  In their worship, men of importance simply clap their hands instead of kneeling or bowing.  The people live long, some to one hundred and others to eighty or ninety years.  Ordinarily, men of importance have four or five wives; the lesser ones two or three.

There is no theft, and litigation is infrequent.  Women are not loose in their morals or jealous.

When the lowly meet men of importance on the road, they stop and withdraw to the roadside. In conveying messages to them or addressing them, they either squat or kneel, with both hands on the ground.  This is how they show respect.”