Asian Studies

Through collaborative learning between Japanese and foreign students, this course provides unique aspects of Japanese language and culture from contrastive views. By actively participating in discussions with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, one will deepen their understanding of Japanese language and culture, developing an appreciation of other cultures. In this class, students  will plan and carry out student-led seminars on the theme of how Japanese culture is reflected in the language.

Eligibility A2.2 level in the CEFR/JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education (N3 in the JLPT) 

Learning Objectives 

1. Through collaborative learning between foreign exchange students and Japanese students, enhance one's cross-cultural communication skills, explanatory skills and team building skills.  

2. By discussing some unusual aspects of Japanese language and culture from a contrastive point of view, deepen one's understanding of how Japan’s culture is reflected in its language and develop an appreciation of cultural diversity. 

3. By planning and actively participating in student-led seminars, gain collaborative skills through peer learning. 

This course approaches media and popular culture as a dynamic field of production, consumption, and contestation. After an initial phase of understanding forms of popular culture, the focus is put primarily on case studies from Japan, along with some comparative examples. This coures examines historical and contemporary meaning-making processes in context, introducing academic vocabulary and approaches while providing tools to examine popular culture and media.  There will also be in-class screenings. By the end of the term, students should be able to think cross-culturally, critically, and collaboratively about not only media and popular culture but also everyday life and the world in which we live.

This course will be offered as a companion course to JAPANESE BUDDHISM AND SOCIAL SUFFERING by the same instructor in the second half of the semester. You do not have to take both courses, but it is recommended to do so for a fuller understanding. Buddhism is the largest indigenous religion of Asia and has ancient roots in every country in the region, including majority Muslim ones like Bangladesh and Indonesia. However, in the contemporary age, it is in crisis, principally from the way economic and scientific modernity challenges its worldview and values. Buddhist institutions throughout the region have been responding to this crisis in variety of ways from nationalistic chauvinism, to market and technologically savvy new Buddhist organizations, and also progressive social action movements known as Socially Engaged Buddhism. This course will look at these different responses and attempts by Buddhism to remain relevant in the dynamic social landscape of contemporary Asia, while offering numerous case studies familiar to the instructor’s 25 years of experience throughout the region. 

This course will be offered as a companion course to JAPANESE BUDDHISM AND SOCIAL SUFFERING by the same instructor in the second half of the semester. You do not have to take both courses, but it is recommended to do so for a fuller understanding. Buddhism is the largest indigenous religion of Asia and has ancient roots in every country in the region, including majority Muslim ones like Bangladesh and Indonesia. However, in the contemporary age, it is in crisis, principally from the way economic and scientific modernity challenges its worldview and values. Buddhist institutions throughout the region have been responding to this crisis in variety of ways from nationalistic chauvinism, to market and technologically savvy new Buddhist organizations, and also progressive social action movements known as Socially Engaged Buddhism. This course will look at these different responses and attempts by Buddhism to remain relevant in the dynamic social landscape of contemporary Asia, while offering numerous case studies familiar to the instructor’s 25 years of experience throughout the region. 

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.