Asian Studies

This course focuses on a statistical approach of Japanese history. Upon completion of the course, students will have improved their critical understanding of using statistical methods in historical analysis; information extraction from primary historical sources, as well as analysis of historical data with the use of a computer.

The kimono is one of the symbols of Japanese tradition and culture, and various traditional cultures are protected through the kimono.　
　
This course first looks at the history of the kimono, a traditional Japanese costume. The sensibility of admiring the four seasons was born from the dyeing and weaving materials that are produced all over the country due to the climate of Japan. Next, through the practice of wearing the yukata and kimono, the course instructs on the meaning of their structure and the way they are worn, as well as the significance of unique colors and patterns of Japan. The course teaches Kyoto culture by visiting Kyoto Yuzen and Nishijin textile workshops and experiencing Kyoto customs. Ultimately, the course aims to provide a learning experience of the movement and aesthetic sense of the Japanese through the kimono that Japan is proud of.　

An exploratory culture course, Japanese Culture D is offered for foreign students to learn about and share insights into various aspects of the living culture of Japan. The course comprises of three basic approaches: 1) The discussion of certain cultural aspects of the country; 2) Reading literature, and 3) Fieldwork at places of cultural significance. Those who took Japanese Culture C in the fall semester should take Japanese Culture D in the spring semester since they make a pair. Culture B and D courses overlap in part due to the nature of certain special events taking place during the semester.

The course aims to provide a new perspective of the culture of Japan by examining the interconnection of various elements including the history and culture of the Tohoku Region; rebuilding effort from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and certain ways people have expressed themselves on different occasions.

The class comprises of lectures and discussions accompanied with fieldwork opportunities. Twelve years after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, disaster prevention and mitigation has come to hold an important place in the culture of this nation. Japanese Culture class has been contributing to this cause since soon after the 2011 event and will continue to do so during this semester as well, albeit in a small way.

While deepening exchanges between Japanese students and international students, this lecture provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between Japan, China, and other Asian countries from both historical and contemporary perspectives. It aims to provide an understanding of global society in the 21st century. Among them, as clues for thinking about how two countries face each other; real-life culture shock experiences; misunderstandings due to expressions in Japanese, Chinese, and other foreign languages, and social and cultural differences.  This course aims to think of international relations based on misunderstandings and grassroots forces that are not the logic of international politics, but ta the individual level, such as what can a person living between Japan and China do?  The main format of spring semester classes is expected to be (1) group discussion, (2) group work for research assignments, and (3) group activities for reading. The language used is a combination of Chinese and Japanese, and the Chinese level of Japanese students does not matter. The main topics for the spring semester are cultural diversity and recognition of others.

This course introduces students to South Korean sexuality issues through the lens of sexuality, addressing topics such as colonialism and migration; industrialization, family, and sexual harassment; popular culture, media, and masculinity; militarization and conscription; and South Korea’s blooming LGBTQ+ movement. The methodology to approach these issues in the class is not to judge the phenomena only with one standard, but to articulate the multi-layers intersecting each issue. The course examines how historical change from liberated Korea in 1945 to the present-day was both motivated by and determinative of various gender dynamics, using secondary critical readings by scholars to better understand the relationship between society and sexuality in a chronological fashion. Students will learn about how Koreans have recognized diverse sexual orientations and gender roles over time.

Globalization and Japan is usually connected with the oft researched policy of “Cool Japan, ” which emphasizes popular culture, particularly anime and manga. Courses on anime and manga tend to focus on an analysis of the object, whether it is a particular anime or manga title. This course aims to fill the gap, by shifting the focus to the industries as popular culture cannot exist without the complex structures of business, form and application of anime and manga.

The course aims: 

1. To introduce the student to the “behind-the-scenes” aspects of anime and manga.
2. To introduce the student to research on anime and manga from a case study.
3. To engage students in critical approaches towards familiar topics.
4. To encourage students in think critically through their own projects of a chosen case study.

This course explores selected topics in the art and visual culture of Asia from Neolithic times to the tenth century CE. A wide range of objects from diverse media, including sculpture, painting, and architecture from India, China, Korea, and Japan, are examined within their respective historical, cultural, social, and religious contexts. Attention is also given to the transcultural paradigm of Asian art history. Topics include Indus Valley Civilization, Neolithic China, Shang Dynasty China, Zhou Dynasty China, Qin Dynasty China, Han Dynasty China, Early Culture and Art in Korea/Japan, Introduction to Buddhism, Early Buddhist Art and Architecture in India, Kushan Dynasty, Gupta Dynasty, and Buddhist Art in China/Korea/Japan.

If a child born to Japanese parents were raised by a Chinese national in China, legal issues aside, could the child really be called Japanese? Also, if a child born to an American couple were raised in a Japanese family in Japan, would that child have American characteristics? Therefore it can be said that people shape themselves through culture, which includes family relationships, language, eating habits, bodily movements, annual events, weddings, and funerals. This course focuses on traditional Japanese culture from the perspective of education and human development.

This course introduces a revisionist fashion history that decenters the West (Europe and North America) and places the East as its equal counterpart. Sartorial cultures in Asia are studied in their own right and on their own terms. It explores the history of global cultural exchange through the lens of fashion, covers the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western sartorial cultures, and provides critical insights into contemporary fashion consumption and industry. The course follows a chronological and thematic approach that examines fashion’s intersection with other domains of social life such as class, identity, and politics.