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History of Japan
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History of Japan
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Course materials
(all required and available at VU bookstore unless otherwise noted)
Smits, Topics in Japanese Cultural History (online and on course CD)
Electronic Readings (ER): on course CD and downloadable via online schedule ("Trajectory") during week assigned or all together on Electronic Readings List page.
- There will also be required in-class and out-of-class flims and web sites to view.
(Note: Words in red throughout this Web site indicate Keywords and/or important points or links.)
Course work
(200 points total; straight percentage scale)
1 Map Quiz covering basic terms and territory. 10 points.
1 Midterm Exam combining in-class keywords an document analysis and take-home essay. 40 points.
1 Endterm Exam focusing on but not limited to post-midterm material. 50 points.
3 Engaging Acts are short writings linked to 3 Engaging Visions exploring visual documents on the course web site. (3 x 15 points = 45 points).
1 Mid-length Paper dealing with The Last Samurai and/or Toshié. 40 points.
Attendence and class participation, while only 15 points, is crucial for success in this course since exams will include material available only from my invaluably unique lecture performances. I look unkindly upon tardiness and will do my best to embarass you into punctuality. I reserve the right to administer unannounced diagnostic tests if it becomes apparent that course material preparation is lacking.
Course expectations (i.e., the meaning of life in this course)
First and foremost, I believe in enjoying the pursuit of knowledge, in having fun with thoughts, in being interested in learning about something for its own sake and not for the sake of a grade. (For better or for worse, however, we live in a world of measured performance and not one of pure joy and knowledge so I am ultimately compelled to give you grades.) Whether or not you share my belief in joy through knowledge, I do expect everybody to put out their best effort. If you are not motivated about reading, writing, and talking about Japanese history, then sayonara!; if you are motivated, then hang around and we’ll have some fun as we work. I would much rather conduct the class in a spirit of intellectual camaraderie and with a mutual commitment to excellence rather than through unilateral threats of failure. You and I will get as much out of this course as we put in to it; no more, no less. I pledge my full effort; it’s up to you to pledge yours. It is my sincere hope that you all will get a lot more from this course than you expected when you signed up for it.
This course involves substantial reading and writing since these activities are time-tested means to thoughtful inquiry and learning. You will also be asked to do a fair amount of web-based work with visual documents. Ultimately, the grades you earn via exams, writings, and participation are a measure of the depths you plumb and the care you take in this inquiry and learning. The reading you do should be active—do it with pen in hand, taking notes and asking questions along the way. Highlighting text in neon colors looks cool and can even be helpful, but it tends to be passive so don’t rely solely on it to master the material. Compiling a list of keywords as you encounter them in your reading and in lectures is a good idea. Not only are keyword responses part of exams; they also can form building blocks for essays as well.
Other things to note: “Deadline extensions” (slackers beware!) and “make-up exams” (you all look fine without make-up) generally do not exist in my universe. Exceptions to this cosmology can only be made for valid reasons on a case-by-case basis, but you must plead your case well before the fact (tampering with the structure of my universe can be catastrophic). I will determine what is valid as well as what grade-lowering such exceptions will cost you. I will tell you right now that such cases as “the computer ate my file” or “I lost my disk” or “the printers were jammed” or “my best friend is in town” or “I just fell in love and can’t think straight” or “I just broke up with my boy/girlfriend and I can’t think straight” or “I have to party until 3AM, puke my guts out, and stay in bed all day with a hangover” are not considered valid. Be sure to examine the syllabus for the schedule of work and make your semester plans accordingly. Always bring the syllabus to class; it is your Global Positioning Satellite to my universe.
Finally, I expect you all to do your own best work, not that which is kidnapped from others or “cleverly” nabbed from the Web (I have been known to track down the sources of suspicious work so don’t even think about it). This means zero tolerance for plagiarism and academic dishonesty of any sort. If you are not sure what constitutes plagiarism or how to cite sources properly, consult me. I would also strongly recommend that you invest in a writing style guide such as The Elements of Style (Strunk & White) and a citation form guide such as A Manual for Writers (Turabian) or A Pocket Style Manual (Hacker).
Vanderbilt University's Honor Code governs all work in this course.
