Courses

A comprehensive introductory course in modern Japanese develops the four basic skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. The two beginning courses will concentrate on correct pronunciation, an active vocabulary of 500-1000 words as well as basic grammatical patterns.

A comprehensive introductory course in modern Japanese develops the four basic skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. The two beginning courses will concentrate on correct pronunciation, an active vocabulary of 500-1000 words as well as basic grammatical patterns.

Prerequisite(s): JAPN 111 or consent.

This course introduces students to 1000 years of Japanese storytelling tradition in diverse mediums: epic tales, drama (bunraku/kabuki, and noh), fiction, and film. Students will engage with such representations of Japanese culture as: - Imperial court life of the 10th century, the role of spirit possession as women's "weapon," and a 20th-century novel that builds on these traditions. - A war between two clans in the 12th century that is the setting for a key duel between unevenly matched opponents retold over the centuries in three different mediums: epic tale, bunraku/kabuki theater, and noh drama. - In the same war, the tragic defeat of one of the clans is reimagined as the source of a famous ghost story written in the 19th century...by a European with connections to Cincinnati! - Postwar short stories that retell Japanese fairy tales to situate them in a Japan struggling to cope with the devastation of the Pacific War. - A mystery novel about government corruption, and a master director’s film from the same period that treats the same subject - The possibilities – and horrors – of dreams as depicted by a 20th-century novelist, a master director, and an animator.

Crosslisting: EAST 129.

The horrific violence in the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of the 20th century is known by many names in many countries. Those different countries also often acknowledge different dates for the conflict. In the United States, we often refer to the events under consideration in this course as the Pacific Theater of World War II and think of them as having begun on December 7, 1941, and stretched across more than three and a half bloody years until the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. In Japan, the conflict is often known as the 15-Year War, the Greater East Asia War, or the Second Sino-Japanese War. Some scholars argue that it began in 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in Beijing, but others suggest that the Mukden Incident in Manchuria in 1931 was the beginning of what would grow to total war across the Asia-Pacific. This course will introduce students to the experience of those living in the Japanese islands (including non-Japanese) and fighting on behalf of Emperor Hirohito across the Asia-Pacific from 1928 to 1945. Students will read essays, fiction, and a graphic novel, as well as watch a film and an animated feature to gain an understanding of the causes of the war, appreciate the complexities of life on the home front, and the horrors of being on the battlefield. Warning: This course will feature regular depictions of and discussions about warfare, combat, and sexual violence.

Crosslisting: EAST 139.

Comprehensive grammar will be the core of the course, along with further development of reading ability and more extensive oral practice.

Prerequisite(s): JAPN 112 or consent.

This course builds on the material covered in JAPN 211. Students will continue to practice speaking using ever more complex grammatical structures, write short paragraphs, and continue their study of Chinese characters used in Japanese (kanji) in earnest.

Prerequisite(s): JAPN 211 or consent.

This course provides students an introduction to the written cultural products (available in translation) from Japan, and two countries – China and Korea – occupied by Japan during the Pacific War (1931-1945). Although Japan’s occupation of Korea began in 1910, this course will begin its consideration of this topic in 1890 because the Japanese political and social mechanisms that led to fascist militarist control in the 1930s have their origins at least as far back as 1890. This course fulfills the Modern Core requirement for the East Asian Studies major/minor.

Crosslisting: EAST 219.

This course is designed to provide an introduction to modern Chinese and Japanese fiction for the student who has little or no background in the language, history, or culture of these countries. No prerequisite.

Crosslisting: EAST 235.

Genre fiction (sometimes called “commercial fiction”) around the world has been broadly categorized as less-refined, or less literary. Postmodern thinkers have demonstrated, however, that popular fiction can serve as a fascinating lens through which to read place (society, race, gender, etc.) and time (historical period). This class will serve as an introduction to Japan’s long, rich tradition of genre fiction. In addition to reading recent criticism of the genres discussed, we will consider representative works, primarily by twentieth-century authors, in three genres: historical/period fiction, mystery/detective fiction, and horror fiction. This course is taught in English. No Japanese language required.

Crosslisting: EAST 239.

This course uses film and modern literature to consider responses to political, economic, and sociological changes in Japanese society over the course of the twentieth century. This course is taught in English.

Some scholars argue that film is the new literary form of the late 20th and early 21st century. This course will focus on films that are products of one of the most populous and economically powerful parts of the world – East Asia. We will look at some famous East Asian films to see in what ways they are unique expressions of Asian culture and thinking, and in what ways they are part of a more global world of filmmaking. We will study film theory and learn how to critically watch a film. We will look at current trends in East Asian film, with particular emphasis on the way East Asian films have influenced Hollywood. We will begin by watching an early silent film from Japan and end by watching a recent East Asian film that has captured global attention. In between will be films about samurai, Godzilla, flying swordsmen, Beijing opera singers, and Korean pansori singers, as well as Hong Kong gangsters, and of course anime.

Crosslisting: EAST 290.

In this course, we will examine the various iterations of “bad women” in Japanese mythology, literature, film, and social media. We will look at examples of Japanese “bad” women, both past and present. Questions we will consider are how “bad” gets defined over time and by gender. Why is there even a need for any society to have such a label used for women and not men? When men are “bad,” are the standards different? How does the notion of the “bad” Japanese woman compare with such a notion in other cultures? By examining a variety of sources on Japan’s “bad” women, both past and present, we will try to discern whether there are any universals in the definition of “bad” and how this label reflects broader ideas about gender in Japanese culture and in other societies.

Crosslisting: EAST 291.

In this course we will read extensively from the works of four twentieth-century Japanese authors who have been elevated to the status of canonized writers, that is, whose works are regarded both in and out of Japan as essential in the history of Japanese letters. Note that readings will vary from semester to semester. This course is taught in English.

The two Advanced Japanese courses introduce students to a number of complex, essential grammatical structures, notably sentence modifiers (relative clauses), and verb categories (transitive and intransitive verbs) that allow students to create longer, more complex culturally coherent utterances. Students will also learn 200 Chinese characters.

Prerequisite(s): JAPN 212 or equivalent.

A student in good standing may work intensively in areas of special interest under the Directed Study plan. A Directed Study is appropriate when, under the guidance of a faculty member, a student wants to explore a subject more fully than is possible in a regular course or to study a subject not covered in the regular curriculum. A Directed Study should not normally duplicate a course that is regularly offered. Directed Studies are normally taken for 3 or 4 credits. A one-semester Directed Study is limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. Note: Directed Studies may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.

A student in good standing may work intensively in areas of special interest under the Directed Study plan. A Directed Study is appropriate when, under the guidance of a faculty member, a student wants to explore a subject more fully than is possible in a regular course or to study a subject not covered in the regular curriculum. A Directed Study should not normally duplicate a course that is regularly offered. Directed Studies are normally taken for 3 or 4 credits. A one-semester Directed Study is limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. Note: Directed Studies may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.

Independent Study engages a student in the pursuit of clearly defined goals. In this effort, a student may employ skills and information developed in previous course experiences or may develop some mastery of new knowledge or skills. A proposal for an Independent Study project must be approved in advance by the faculty member who agrees to serve as the project advisor. Note: Independent Studies may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.

Independent Study engages a student in the pursuit of clearly defined goals. In this effort, a student may employ skills and information developed in previous course experiences or may develop some mastery of new knowledge or skills. A proposal for an Independent Study project must be approved in advance by the faculty member who agrees to serve as the project advisor. Note: Independent Studies may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.

Students may enroll in Senior Research in their final year at Denison. Normally, Senior Research requires a major thesis, report, or project in the student's field of concentration and carries eight semester-hours of credit for the year. Typically, a final grade for a year-long Senior Research will not be assigned until the completion of the year-long Senior Research at the end of the second semester. Each semester of Senior Research is limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. Note: Senior Research may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.

Students may enroll in Senior Research in their final year at Denison. Normally, Senior Research requires a major thesis, report, or project in the student's field of concentration and carries eight semester-hours of credit for the year. Typically, a final grade for a year-long Senior Research will not be assigned until the completion of the year-long Senior Research at the end of the second semester. Each semester of Senior Research is limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. Note: Senior Research may not be used to fulfill General Education requirements.