Keio University

This course studies short stories depicting different aspects of the postwar period (roughly from 1945 until 1968) to provide an insight into the postwar period as a whole: how it shaped Japanese society at the time and how that process of shaping still bears upon the present. One short story at a time is studied. The texts will be made available to the class a week in advance on the Keio website, and all students will be expected to have read the relevant story before each class and to come prepared with comments and questions. All texts will be discussed on the basis of their English-language translations and the language of discussion will be English. However, the original Japanese texts will also be made available and native speakers of Japanese are particularly encouraged to use their knowledge of the original language to contribute to the discussion.

This is an interdisciplinary class on the relationship between the EU and Japan, focusing on economic aspects but also including political and social aspects. The course comprehensively deals with the history from the beginning of European integration to the establishment of the euro, and the relationship between the EU and Japan and other countries during that process.

In each lecture, Power point will be prepared and uploaded before the lecture. In addition, we rely on the reference books such as 'EU-Japan relations and the crisis of multilateralism' and 'Routledge handbook of the economics of European integration’ for which e-books are available at Keio library and are useful for you to study at home. Students are supposed to submit short comments after every class. European policy makers and academics will be invited for guest speeches occasionally.

This course is designed for students at the advanced level. Based on reading assignments related to Japanese society and culture, students learn various ways to discuss and present their opinions. The course is offered in Spring and Fall semesters with different course content. 

This course presents the history and main current characteristics of the Japanese legal system. The first part of the course presents the historical background of the Japanese legal system, focusing on the reception of Western law in the Meiji period and on the consolidation of the legal system in the 20th century. The second part presents several key aspects of current Japanese constitutional law, private law, criminal law, and procedure. The course may include a field trip to an institution of law covered during the semester.