Asian Studies

This course is taught by three instructors, Takagishi, Harada, and Daikuhara, in an omnibus format. The purpose of the course is to deepen one's understanding of Japanese life, society and culture, gaining a multifaceted perspective. 
 

Takagishi's class covers 'Kyoto festivals;' 'Doshisha's founding spirit and the life of its founder, Jo Niijima;'' 'Kansai dialect;' 'Kyoto companies;' 'Kyoto-machiya,' and 'Japanese manga and anime'.　

Harada's classes focus on 'Japanese onomatopoeia;' 'ceramics and Japanese life;' 'tea ceremony and daily life,' and 'Japanese meals and table culture.' 

Daikuhara's section revolves around 'Nintendo's history and philosophy;' 'Japanese intonation,' and 'Japanese monsters and gods.'

This course explores Japanese culture by introducing the origins of modern Japanese society and enhancing students' understanding of the mentality of the Japanese people. This course operates under the assumption that understanding local culture is an important first step in becoming a global citizen, and thus focuses on the traditional culture of Miyagi prefecture. The course discovers and discusses several concepts related to Japanese culture and then analyzes Suzume Odori (Sparrow Dance). Students will also learn how to dance the Suzume Odori through classes and videos.

By the end of the course, students are expected to:
1) Describe what occurs in the Suzume Odori and the Sendai Aoba Festival.
2) Discuss modern Japanese society through Japanese cultural concepts.
3) Analyze the Suzume Odori using these concepts.

How can Japanese culture be better known across the world? This simple question lies at the heart of many Japanese governmental policies, local revitalization efforts, tourism initiatives, and artistic projects. In particular, the goal of preserving Japanese traditions through global transmission — and to encourage other nations to similarly preserve their own traditions — often guides foreign policy discussions. But why is this goal so prevalent today, and what ways of thinking about culture does it encourage? Who decides what is defined as ‘Japanese culture’, or which traditions should be transmitted? This course discusses common understandings (and countercultural re-imaginings) of tradition in contemporary Japanese culture. The course explores media texts that both decry and extol the potential for global exchange to alter tradition and classes focus particularly on the political implications of rhetoric used to talk about the spread of culture today. Through class discussion and independent projects, the course re-thinks common ideas about culture and its global spread.

This course examines the relationship between Japan and Korea, with a particular focus on the impact of Japan’s colonization of Korea and its postcolonial legacies. Students gain greater insights into how the multifaceted intersections between both countries mutually impacts the shaping of their modernities, national identities, cultural politics, and globalization. The course focuses on various official and popular cultural forms such as museum exhibits, expositions, art, film, anime, TV drama, and international events to analyze the histories of these countries.

This course focuses on explaining social and cultural phenomena to accurately understand Japanese society today. It focuses on topics such as family, gender, education, friendships, work/labor, and political/social movements. Audiovisual materials will be utilized. 

To understand the complex and multifaceted reality unique to Japanese society, students will broaden their horizons and acquire a comprehensive and comparative perspective on society as a whole.

This course introduces the culture of Japanese gardens, focusing on the main philosophical values, styles, aesthetics, and landscape design principles through history. By doing specific activities, writing assignments and oral presentations, the course increases knowledge and the meaning of what has been learned from interactions and shared experiences. Comparisons with historical gardens examples in other cultures and a study-tour to relevant Japanese gardens located inside or around Kyoto City are planned to strengthen final debates and discussions as well as to help the formation of group research projects for final evaluation. 

This course explores a specific theme of a broad range of topics in Japan Studies representing humanities, social science, natural science, and environmental science perspectives. The course involves substantial out of classroom work, including fieldwork, interviews, and first-hand observation.

This course is taught by three instructors, Takahashi, Nakato, and Kajiwara, in an omnibus format. 
 

Takahashi's class introduces the themes, 'Japanese culture around oneself' and 'language.' This covers topics such as 'temples and shrines in Kyoto;' 'food culture,' 'Japanese houses; 'Japanese people and animals,' etc. In the 'language' section, students learn about 'onomatopoeia,' 'kanji, tongue twisters, and proverbs,' as well as 'Folktales,'  aiming to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and language.　

Nakato's class focuses on 'Japanese makeup culture and color sense' and 'Japanese innovation and pop culture,' deepening one's understanding of Japanese culture through a comparison of past and present. 

Kajiwara's section revolves around the instructor's own experience revolving around 'Japanese rice,' 'the charm of the countryside,' and 'hot springs.' Additionally, the class aims to enhance understanding of Japanese culture through comparisons with other countries.

Students will use brushes, washi paper, mineral pigments, and gold leaf used in Japanese paintings, as well as the brushes and glue used for mounting, and finish their works. You can learn about the texture of paints and base materials, the fun and difficulty of classical techniques, and the structure of works, which cannot be learned just by looking at art works at galleries and museums. 
In the first half of the class, students will complete ink reproductions of classic Japanese paintings. In the second half, you will complete your original work on a fan using various paints used in Japanese paintings. Let's have fun learning together and creating works that are full of originality using variety of Japanese painting materials.

This course focuses on the biographies of individuals intimately connected to Japan who through choice and circumstance have come to lead extraordinary lives. The course, through analysis of numerous life histories and a range of theories that help us understand them, offers insights into the nature of cultural homogenization and social differentiation and the particular ways these processes are defined and reinforced in the Japanese context.