Keio University

This course is designed for students who have experience studying Japanese at the intermediate level. Aiming to facilitate a mastery of reading and writing skills, the course covers writing of intermediate kanji; reading sentences, and writing one's own compositions.

This course examines Japanese short fiction in the modern period, by focusing on texts containing encounters between representatives of Japan and what lies beyond its shores. These encounters are not confined to meetings between individuals but also includes a "meeting of minds" when the protagonist or the text itself can be seen to have engaged with something from beyond Japan. 

All texts are discussed on the basis of their English-language translations and the language of discussion is English. However, the original Japanese texts are available and native speakers of Japanese are particularly encouraged to use their knowledge of the original language to contribute to the discussion.

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.