Courses in Japanese Studies - University at Albany-SUNY

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# Courses in Japanese Studies

A EAJ 101 Elementary Japanese I (5)
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.

A EAJ 102 Elementary Japanese II (5)
Continuation of A EAJ 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): A EAJ 101 or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 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.

A EAJ 201 Intermediate Japanese I (5)
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): A EAJ 102 or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 202 Intermediate Japanese II (5)
Continuation of A EAJ 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): A EAJ 201 or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 205X Japanese Studies Research and Bibliographic Methods (3)
This course will cover research and bibliographic methods in Japanese Studies. Students will learn how to navigate library catalogs and the Internet with specific emphasis on Japanese databases and resources. Students will also learn how to use reference materials, such as character dictionaries. Only one of A EAJ 205X, A EAC 205X, and A EAS 205X may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): one year or equivalent of Japanese.

A EAJ 210 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.

A EAJ 212/212Z Modern Japanese Literature in Translation (3)
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 A EAJ 212 may be taken for credit.

A EAJ 278 (= A HIS 278; formerly A EAJ 275) 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 version of A EAJ 278 may be taken for credit.

A EAJ 301Y 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): A EAJ 202 or equivalent.

A EAJ 302Y 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): A EAJ 301 or equivalent.

A EAJ 384/384Z (= A HIS 384/384Z) 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 A EAJ 384 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 385/385Z (= A HIS 385/385Z) 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 A EAJ 385 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior standing, or 3 credits in East Asian studies or history.

A EAJ 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.
A EAJ 405 Advanced Japanese Language Proficiency (3)
This course will provide a standard approach to advanced language materials with a particular focus on current usage and dynamic vocabulary. Students will work specifically on the reading and listening comprehension skills required in a Japanese university setting. Class conducted in Japanese and English. Not open to native speakers of Japanese. Prerequisite(s): A EAJ 302 or permission of instructor. S/U graded.

A EAJ 410 Readings in Modern Japanese Literature (3)
This is an advanced course in Japanese language for students who have completed at least three years of college Japanese. The class will read selected passages from major works of modern Japanese literature. Lecture and discussion will be in Japanese. Prerequisite(s): A EAJ 302 or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 411 Readings in Modern Japanese Literature (3)
This is a continuation of A EAJ 410. Class will read selected passages from major works of Japanese literature. Lecture and discussion will be in Japanese. Prerequisite(s): A EAJ 410 or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 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 instructor. S/U graded.

A EAJ 435 (formerly A EAJ 396) 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. Prerequisite(s): A EAJ 212 or permission of the instructor.

A EAJ 436 (= A HIS 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) A EAJ 385.

A EAJ 437 History of Japanese Thought (3)
This course explores the field of "Japanese Thought" through a broad survey of texts written by (mostly) Japanese intellectuals, primarily in the modern era. A historical approach to these texts will be taken, with an eye towards attempting to understand how different readers in different contexts tried to harness the power of "thought" in effecting change in their society. Prerequisite(s): A EAJ 385 or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 438 (formerly A EAJ 391) 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. Prerequisites(s): A EAJ 212 or permission of the instructor.

A EAJ 460 (= A REL 460; formerly A EAS/A REL 394) 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: A EAJ 261, A EAS 266, 190, 357, or permission of instructor.

A EAJ 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): A EAJ 302 or permission of instructor.

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