AEAJ 101 Elementary Japanese I (4)
Designed for the acquisition of a basic competence in modern standard Japanese in the areas of speaking, reading and writing. Format will be lecture with drill and discussion. Five class hours a week will be enhanced with a one-hour language lab. Not open to students with previous knowledge of the Japanese language.
AEAJ 102 Elementary Japanese II (4)
Continuation of AEAJ 101. Aural comprehension, speaking, reading and writing will be emphasized. The format will be lecture with drill and discussion, and one hour in the language lab. Prerequisite(s): AEAJ 101 or permission of instructor.
AEAJ 170 Japan: Its Culture and Heritage (3)
Survey of the essential elements of traditional Japanese civilization and their transformation in the post-Meiji era and 20th century. Focus on the development of basic Japanese social, political, and aesthetic ideas. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Japanese is required.
AEAJ 201 Intermediate Japanese I (4)
Concentrates on the reading and analysis of language texts. A large amount of time is devoted to the understanding of Japanese grammar and oral practice. The format will be lecture with drill and discussion. Prerequisite(s): AEAJ 102 or permission of instructor.
AEAJ 202 Intermediate Japanese II (4)
Continuation of AEAJ 201. The course will concentrate on the reading and analysis of language texts. A large amount of time is devoted to the understanding of Japanese grammar and oral practice. The format will be lecture with drill and discussion. Prerequisite(s): AEAJ 201 or permission of instructor.
AEAJ/AHIS 278 Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present (3)
This course introduces some of the forms of "popular culture" prevalent in Japan from 1600 until the present day, with a strong emphasis on the social, economic and intellectual forces behind these major trends. This course, organized chronologically, offers a look at the many historical developments connected with popular forms of music, theater, film and comics, including the rise of a new urban print culture in the 17th century, the introduction of "Western" art forms such as motion pictures and jazz music in the 1920s, and the steady expansion of both domestic and international markets for Japanese film, music, and comics in the years since 1945. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Japanese is required. Only one of AEAJ/AHIS 278 or TEAJ/THIS 278 may be taken for credit. TEAJ/THIS is open to honors college students only.
TEAJ/THIS 278 Japanese Pop Culture from Edo to the Present (3)
This course introduces some of the forms of "popular culture" prevalent in Japan from 1600 to the present day, with a strong emphasis on the social, economic, and intellectual forces behind these major trends. This course, organized chronologically, offers a look at the many historical developments connected with popular forms of music, theater, film and comics, including the rise of a new urban print culture in the 17th century, the introduction of "Western" art forms such as motion pictures and jazz music in the 1920s, and the steady expansion of both domestic and international markets for Japanese film, music, and comics in the years since 1945. Conducted in English; no knowledge of Japanese is required. Only one of AEAJ/AHIS 278 or TEAJ/THIS 278 may be taken for credit. TEAJ/THIS is open to honors college students only.
AEAJ 301 Advanced Japanese I (3)
Acquisition of complex structures through intensive oral/aural and reading/writing practice. Discussion, authentic written materials, videotapes and audiotapes are incorporated. Prerequisite(s): AEAJ 202 or equivalent.
AEAJ 302 Advanced Japanese II (3)
Acquisition of complex structures through intensive oral/aural and reading/writing practice. Discussion, authentic written materials, videotapes and audiotapes are incorporated. Prerequisite(s): AEAJ 301 or equivalent.
AEAJ 310 Survey of Traditional Japanese Literature (3)
This course presents a survey of the major works of traditional Japanese literature from the 9th to the 19th century, including the Tosa Journal, the Pillow Book, and Essays in Idleness. The course is conducted solely in English; knowledge of Japanese is not required.
AEAJ 312 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation (3)
(Formerly AEAJ 212.) Survey of prose literature in Japan from the Meiji Restoration (1868) to the present. Emphasis is placed on pre-war writers and their quest for modernity. Only one version of AEAJ 212/312 may be taken for credit.
AEAJ 320 Japanese Culture Through Film and Anime (3)
This course examines Japanese culture through the medium of film and anime. It features a selection of seminal works by renowned directors ranging from classic to contemporary and introduces students to a number of thematic clusters corresponding to major cultural phenomena. To supplement its visual content, the course also includes a wide range of scholarly as well as other types of writings meant to facilitate critical examination and a deeper understanding of the material.
AEAJ/AHIS 384 History of Premodern Japan (3)
This course will cover Japanese history from prehistory through 1600. Focus will be on political and economic trends. Only one version of AEAJ 384 may be taken for credit.
AEAJ/AHIS 385 History of Modern Japan (3)
This course is a survey of modern Japanese history. It covers the period from 1600 to the present day. The focus is on the interconnections between political, social, and intellectual history during Japan’s emergence as a world power. Only one version of AEAJ 385 may be taken for credit.
AEAJ 389 Topics in Japanese Literature, History, and Culture (3)
This course will focus on a selected topic or major work of traditional or modern Japanese literature or history for intensive study. May be repeated for credit when content varies.
AEAJ 423 Practicum in Teaching Japanese (2)
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of teaching Japanese as a foreign language, designed for those who contemplate a career teaching Japanese at the secondary or college level. Focus is on attaining practical experience through class observation and a supervised classroom practicum. Prerequisite(s): fluency in Japanese; permission of the instructor. S/U graded.
AEAJ 435 Meiji Literature in Translation (3)
This course will examine several works of Japanese prose literature (in translation) written during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). The works include an essay, novels, and short stories. Attention will be given to the question of modernity, the nature of the novel, and European influence on Japanese literature. No knowledge of Japanese required.
AEAJ/AHIS 436 Fascism: Japan and Beyond (3)
This course explores the idea of "fascism" as a framework to analyze society. Taking Japan as a point of departure, we will investigate "fascism" in relation to political economy, intellectual production, and mass culture primarily in the Axis powers in the first half of the 20th century. Particular attention will be devoted to the importance of cross-regional interactions in developing ideas of bureaucracy and national mobilization, race and ethnicity, and systems of political participation. Prerequisite(s) AEAJ 385 or permission of the instructor.
AEAJ 438 World War II: The Japanese View (3)
This course will examine several works of Japanese literature (in translation) written during and after World War II. The works include an essay, novels, short stories, a play, and poetry. Attention will be given to the question of how the Japanese perceived their role in the war, the nature of the war itself, and if these changed with the passing of time.
AEAJ/AREL 460 Readings in Japanese Religious Studies (3)
This is an advanced course in the religious traditions of Japan. We will read English translations of religious texts native to the Japanese experience of religion, specifically Buddhist, Shinto, Confucian, and Folk. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: AEAJ 261, AEAS 266, AEAS 190, AEAS 357, or permission of the instructor.
AEAJ 497 Independent Study in Japanese (1-6)
Projects in selected areas of Japanese studies, with regular progress reports; or supervised readings of texts in Japanese. May be repeated once for credit when content varies. Prerequisite(s): AEAJ 302 or permission of instructor.