Japanese Culture Courses

• Course Code: 01:565:215
• Course Title: A-Bomb Literature and Film in Japan
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring
• Credits: 3
• SAS Core Certified: AHp, CCO

01:565:215 A-Bomb Literature and Film in Japan

In this course, we will be reading and discussing eyewitness accounts, short stories, a novel, and poems, by survivors and writers of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. All students will be asked to serve as discussion leader in class twice during the semester. We will also study films describing the history of the bombings and depicting the aftermath. All readings are in English translation. By studying multiple genres (eyewitness accounts, fiction, poetry, and film), we will be able to examine from varied perspectives the ways atomic warfare has been represented in media. Ideally, each student in the class will develop an understanding of the limits of representation of the dehumanizing effects of atomic warfare, and learn to connect A-Bomb literature and film in Japan to political concerns about future use of atomic weapons.

Grading: Discussion posts: 50% (2 pts x 25) Discussion leader: 15% (5 pts x 3) Final paper: 35%

Course Materials:

• Ōe Kenzaburō, ed. The Crazy Iris (Perseus, 1985) ISBN 9780802151841
• Richard Minear, Hiroshima: Three Witnesses (Princeton UP, 1990) ISBN 9780691008370
• Kurihara Sadako, When We Say Hiroshima: Selected Poems (UMichigan, 1999) ISBN 9780939512898
• Ibuse Masuji, Black Rain (Kodansha, 2012) ISBN: 9781568364179

“A-Bomb Literature and Film in Japan” 01:565:215 satisfies Core Curriculum goals:

• 21st Century Challenges (21C) c. Analyze the relationship that science and technology have to a contemporary social issue.
• Arts and Literatures (AHp) Analyze arts and/or literatures in themselves and in relation to specific histories, values, languages, cultures, and technologies.

The course also satisfies the following Asian Languages and Cultures learning goals for Japanese majors and minors:

• Majors will be able to demonstrate substantial knowledge of Japanese literature and culture and pursue advanced study and/or employment in a capacity requiring such cultural knowledge. Minors will be able to analyze and interpret texts and relate relevant issues to other areas in the humanities. See full statement of the Asian Languages and Cultures department’s learning goals at https://sas.rutgers.edu/documents/curriculum-committee/532-sas-learning-goals/file (p. 3)

• Course Code: 01:565:317
• Course Title: Love, Honor, and Suicide in Japanese Literature
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring
• Credits: 3

01:565:317 Love, Honor, and Suicide in Japanese Literature
(Credit not given for both this course and 01:195:332)

Description: Suicide as a theme in Japanese literature from the eighth century to the present, with comparisons to the theme of suicide in Western literature. Selected texts from Western literature read to gain a comparative perspective. Films shown as well.

Number of Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Semesters Offered: Irregular

Topics: Varies

• Course Code: 01:565:320
• Course Title: The Samurai Tradition in Japanese Literature and Film
• Semester(s) Offered: Spring
• Credits: 3

01:565:320 The Samurai Tradition in Japanese Literature and Film

Description: The samurai warrior as a focus of cultural and political expression in Japanese literature and cinema. Supplementary readings of secondary sources on samurai culture and thought.

Number of Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Semesters Offered: Spring

Topics: Warriors and Warfare, Death with Honor, Ethical Use of the Sword

Expected Work: Attendance, response sheets, assignments, Final paper

Exams: None

Syllabus

• Course Code: 01:565:350
• Course Title: Japanese Film
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring
• Credits: 3

01:565:350 Japanese Film

Description: Japanese film in its cultural and historic contexts and as a Japanese art form. Viewing and analysis of films by Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, Ozu, and others.

Number of Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Semesters Offered: Fall

Topics: Major cinematic representations of pre-WWII and post-WWII Japan. Issues of modernity and westernization, nostalgia for the past, and negotiations between progress and tradition.

Expected Work: Response papers, Final paper

Exams: None

Syllabus