HIST 1080: Premodern Japan

As an introduction to Japanese civilization from earliest times to the late 19th century, this course is necessarily limited to broad swaths of major themes in Japan’s rich and complex premodern history. Within a rough framework of aristocratic, warrior, and commoner life, we will survey the ways in which Japanese have over the centuries organized themselves collectively, created meanings for private and social life, and given expression to thoughts, feelings, values, and beliefs.  Beyond the textbook that provides basic background in a political and social history, we will spend the majority of our time and focus engaging Japanese cultural history through myths, religious texts, literature, architecture, pictorial art, and other cultural artifacts. The active engagement with and analysis of these primary sources—not rote memorization of textbook facts—constitute the core of critical learning in this course. But yes, do master the textbook facts as well….

 HANDOUTS / READINGS / MEDIA / LINKS / FORUMS