Honors 392 Exploring Japan Through Historical Fiction

Some claim that the first novel in history was Japan’s Tale of Genji. Japan’s amazing history is only matched by the beautiful historical fictional works that poignantly present that history. This course explores Japan’s past through historical fiction. In particular, the course focuses on the Tokugawa period (1600-1868) and 1930s Japan.

After successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

• Articulate the important religious, economic, and social movements in Japan’s early modern period.
• Demonstrate competency with the skill of critical thinking.
• Write a clear and coherent essay that accurately reports themes, arguments, and assumptions of a given author.
• Identify cultural patterns in Japan.
• Develop a historical fiction short story.

Class Expectations

Students should possess intermediate to advanced skills of critical analysis, interpretation, and research. Students also should be able to communicate proficiently in writing and in discussion. Regarding the latter point, students must actively participate in class discussion.

Grade Criteria

• Participation 10%
• Daily quizzes 50%
• Essays 20%
• Final project 20%

The letter to percentage grade is as follows:

A = 100 – 94
A – = 93 – 90
B+ = 89 – 87
B = 86 – 84
B- = 83 -80
C+ = 79 – 77
C = 76 – 74
C- = 73 – 70
D+ = 69 – 67
D = 66 – 64
D- = 63 – 60
F = 59 – 0

The professor will not give you a grade at the end of the course; rather, you will earn the grade that you receive. There is objective criteria that determines what grade you earn. These things include your participation, quiz scores, and your written assignment grades. However, there will also be subjective elements when it comes time to record your grade. For example, attendance is absolutely key and will be noted. More than two absences will affect your final grade (each subsequent absence will reduce your final quiz score by 45 points). It will make a difference if you pay attention and join the discussions. There will be no make-up quizzes; however, all students will receive an extra 20 points at the end of the semester toward their final quiz score.

Structure

This class will be divided into two groups. After the first week of class, Group One will meet every Tuesday, and Group Two will meet each Thursday. Students will also work in teams to produce a thirty-page work of historical fiction. Apart from the first week, our meetings will be discussion-based. Each week students will also watch short video lecture to provide a historical context for our weekly reading.

WEEK ONE: Introduction

August 22: Course Introduction; Introduction to Japan.

August 24: The Tokugawa Policy. David Mitchell assigned reading- pdf provided upon request. Watch the David Mitchell Interview

Read Silence, pages V – XXII

WEEK TWO: The rise of the Shogun office and Japan’s civil wars

August 29/31:

Watch “Japan’s Three Unifiers” (17 minutes)

Read Silence, chapters 1-4 (pages 1-83). Essay #1 is due.

WEEK THREE: The Tokugawa Social System

September 5/7: Watch “The Baku-Han System” (16 minutes)

Watch “Tokugawa Japan”

Read Silence, chapters 5-7 (pages 84-164).

WEEK FOUR: Rural Tokugawa Japan

September 12/14: Watch “The Tokugawa Village (Part Two)” (42 minutes)

Read Silence, chapters 8-10 and Publishers Note (pages 165-212; 1-20). Essay #2 is due.

WEEK FIVE: The Dutch in Edo Japan

September 19/21: Watch “Dutch in Edo Japan” (45 minutes)

Read Thousand Autumns, chapters 1-7 (pages 1-89).

WEEK SIX: Art in Tokugawa Japan

September 26/28: Watch “Art in Tokugawa Japan” 41 minutes)

Read Thousand Autumns, chapters 8-13 (pages 90-174).

WEEK SEVEN: The Fall of the Tokugawa House

October 3/5: Watch “U.S. Pressure on Tokugawa Japan” (18 minutes)

Watch “The Meiji Restoration” (16 minutes)

Read Thousand Autumns, chapters 14-21 (pages 177-271). Essay #3 is due.

WEEK EIGHT: Meiji Japan

October 10/12: Watch “Meiji Japan’s Promises and Challenges” (21 minutes)

Watch “Meiji Japan’s Early Empire” (16 minutes)

Watch “Meiji Japan’s Wars with China and Russia” (17 minutes)

Read Thousand Autumns, chapters 22-31 (pages 272-372).

WEEK NINE: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet

October 17/19: Read Thousand Autumns, chapters 32-41 (pages 373-479).

WEEK TEN: Japan in the 1920s

October 24/26: Watch “The Liberal 1920s” (37 minutes)

Read Memoirs of a Geisha, chapters 1-9 (pages 1-114). Essay #4 is due.

WEEK ELEVEN: Japan in the 1930s

October 31/November 2: Watch “Japan in the 1930s (Economic Changes)” (30 minutes)

Read Memoirs of a Geisha, chapters 10-17 (pages 115-208).

WEEK TWELVE: Rise of Militarism in the 1930s

November 7/9: Watch “Japan in the 1930s (Militarism)” (36 minutes)

Read Memoirs of a Geisha, chapters 18-25 (pages 209-303).

WEEK THIRTEEN: Pearl Harbor

November 14/16: Watch “Pearl Harbor” (32 minutes)

Read Memoirs of a Geisha, chapters 26-35 (pages 304-428).

WEEK FOURTEEN: Class Presentations

November 28: Historical Fiction Presentations

November 30: Historical Fiction Presentations

WEEK FIFTEEN: Class Presentations

December 5: Historical Fiction Presentations

December 7: Historical Fiction Presentations

“One of the best historical novels by anyone, ever.” David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas

“The novelist who’s shown us fiction’s future has written a classic tale…an epic of sacrificial love, clashing civilizations and enemies who won’t rest until whole family lines have been snuffed out.” Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Part historical novel, part fairy tale, part Dickensian romance, Memoirs of a Geisha immerses the reader in an exotic world. An impressive and unusual debut.” The New York Times