I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 9/15/09)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change existing
gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
III. Language
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III Exception: Symbolic Systems * VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms
IV: Expressive Arts
IX: American & European
if requesting
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
X: Indigenous & Global
x
more than one
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
w/ lab  w/out lab 
education
group
*Courses proposed for this designation must be standing requirements of
designation)
majors that qualify for exceptions to the modern and classical language
requirement
Dept/Program MCLL
Course #
150 H
Course Title
Prerequisite
Japanese Culture and Civilization
None
Credits
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Charles Exley
Phone / Email 243-5301
Program Chair Linda Gillison
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
X
One-time Only
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Description of change
3
Date
Change
Remove
Reinstating former designation
JPNS 150 has always been a non-western
course, but was dropped in the
changeover to Indigenous & Global
IV. Description and purpose of new general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
Japanese Culture and Civilization exposes students for the first time to the
breadth of Japanese civilization from earliest times to the present. It develops
basic cultural literacy about Japan, and therefore it qualifies as an introductory
and foundational course in the department. This course fulfilled the non-western
requirement for many years. We are asking for a continuation of this designation
under the revised Group X (Global and Indigenous) perspective.
To quote from the syllabus course description:
This course, an elective for the major in Japanese, is designed for students having
little or no previous knowledge of Japan. This course introduces students to
fundamental elements of the culture and civilization of Japan. Students can
expect to leave with a solid grasp of important historical periods, an appreciation
of many key figures and places of cultural significance, and an awareness of
important social changes from earliest times to the present day.
Students will improve their analytical skills as they read outstanding examples
of Japanese literature; they will synthesize relevant information about Japanese
art, architecture, religion, literature, society, and history from lectures and
background readings in order to present well-reasoned arguments about Japan;
and they will develop their ability to identify and critique cultural stereotypes.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
The course instills knowledge of the diversity
It emphasizes interaction between Japan and
of Japanese culture in a thematic framework.
Asian continent in premodern era and
geopolitical interaction between Japan and
the west in the modern era, highlighting the
transnational flow of cultural information
The course invites students to respect cultural
Students learn to compare different eras in
diversity and to compare Japanese culture with
Japanese history, thereby deepening their
their own.
appreciation of both continuity and change in
contemporary Japanese culture.
It develops geographical awareness of Japan
and East Asia
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
Student learning goals, as outlined in
the syllabus, include the following
aims:
 improve cultural literacy about
Japan and the Japanese
 increase familiarity with the
principal periods, including Jōmon,
Yayoi, Nara, Heian, Kamakura,
Muromachi, Tokugawa, Meiji,
Taishō, Shōwa, and Heisei periods
 introduce basic geography –
location of principal Asian
countries, Japanese islands, and
Japanese cities
 identify important political, social,
cultural, artistic, and literary
themes for each of the principal
periods covered
 train students to place works,
genres, and events covered in the
course into their respective period
VII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will carry
at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than one
pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
This course meets all the above guidelines for general education courses (three credits,
introductory in nature, numbered at 100 level).
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Course Syllabus
Japanese Culture and Civilization
JPNS 150H
Classroom: LA207 MWF 1:10 – 2:00pm
Instructor: Dr. Charles Exley
Office: LA318
Office Hours: TBA, and by appointment.
Phone number 243-5301
Email: charles.exley@mso.umt.edu
This course, an elective for the major in Japanese, is designed for students having little or no
previous knowledge of Japan. This course introduces students to fundamental elements of the
culture and civilization of Japan. Students can expect to leave with a solid grasp of important
historical periods, an appreciation of many key figures and places of cultural significance, and
an awareness of important social changes from earliest times to the present day.
Students will improve their analytical skills as they read outstanding examples of Japanese
literature; they will synthesize relevant information about Japanese art, architecture, religion,
literature, society, and history from lectures and background readings in order to present wellreasoned arguments about Japan; and they will develop their ability to identify and critique
cultural stereotypes.
Learning Objectives
More specifically, this course aims to
 improve cultural literacy about Japan and the Japanese
 increase familiarity with the principal periods, including Jōmon, Yayoi, Nara, Heian,
Kamakura, Muromachi, Tokugawa, Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, and Heisei periods
 introduce basic geography – location of principal Asian countries, Japanese islands, and
Japanese cities
 identify important political, social, cultural, artistic, and literary themes for each of the
principal periods covered
 train students to place works, genres, and events covered in the course into their
respective period
Required Texts
Varley, Paul. Japanese Culture. Fourth Edition. University of Hawai’i Press, 2000.
Additional reading material is available on the course supplement in Blackboard. Students will
be expected to check Blackboard regularly for additional reading.
Additional notes
(1) Please note that this course no longer fulfills the lower-division writing requirement at the
University.
(2) All works read will be in English. No knowledge of the Japanese language is required.
(3) Students will also be required to purchase a pack of blank 4 by 6 note cards to be used
regularly in class.
(4) There will be no make-up assignments, tests, or exams.
(5) Lateness and Absence Policy
The following policy is in accordance with Japanese Section policy. Two late arrivals will be
counted as one absence, and points will be deducted accordingly. You are expected to attend
class all the time. Students who miss more than three class sessions for whatever reason
(including illness) will be penalized one point off their final course percentage score for each
additional absence. More than six absences results in a failure in the course, as this represents
two full weeks of absence. Please do not ask for exceptions to be made. In the unlikely event
that you become seriously ill for many days or have a major family emergency, contact me
immediately, and I will advise you on how, if at all, you might try to catch up. Please note that
“catching up” is usually not a realistic option. This policy is designed to encourage you to
come to class and to communicate with your professor ahead of time.
(6) Students are expected to abide by the University Student Conduct Code.
Grade Calculation
Participation, attendance: 10%
HW projects, explained below in more detail: 30%
Midterm Exams, covering approx. one-third of the course content: 15% + 15% (=30%)
Final Exam, cumulative: 30%
Grade Distribution
A: 93-100 A-: 90-92 B+: 87-89 B: 83-86 B-: 80-82 C+: 77-79 C: 73-76 C-: 70-72 D+: 6769 D: 63-66 D-: 60-62 F: below 60
HW Projects
Assignment #1
Each of you will be responsible for creating an entry in a class wiki (You can access the wiki at
www.jpns210.pbwiki.com; the password is the name of the author of your textbook) on a topic
of your choice. The format of the article should be as follows: paragraph one – create a concise
description of the entry, just like you might find in an encyclopedia. Paragraph two – explain
where to find more verifiable information on the topic. You can use wikipedia and other online
material as sources, but you must cite every source you use to write the article. The entries will
be graded for content presented and references.
Topic restrictions: the entries for this year’s wiki have to be different from those posted.
Submission guidelines: when you are ready to submit your entry, you should
1. send me an email from your umconnect account when it’s ready to be viewed (required)
2. put “JPNS wiki entry” in the subject line (or it might be marked as junk and deleted)
Assignment #2
Each of you will be responsible for assessing the quality of an article in Wikipedia on a topic
concerning Japanese culture. Compare the entry you have chosen to other encyclopedias and
resources in the UM Library and write up your conclusions regarding the accuracy of the article
in Wikipedia. You can pick any topic related to Japanese culture of interest to you.
Assignment #3
Literature review – choose an appropriate article or chapter from a book on Japanese culture
and write a summary and assessment of it. The write-up should be no more than four pages,
double-spaced.
Schedule for the semester:
Note: this schedule is subject to change. The most recent version of the schedule will be
located on Blackboard, so you are expected to check it frequently for possible updates.
Key to schedule
Varley = your textbook
Anything else listed indicates extra reading available in Blackboard.
WEEK 1
Date
M
8/30
W
9/1
F
9/3
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
CLASS TOPICS
geography unit
Google Earth tour of Japan
Ways of describing JC
Early Japan
Jōmon and Yayoi periods
Jōmon and Yayoi architecture, society
Memorize location of: Japan, China, Korea, Russia,
Taiwan; Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū,
Tōkyō, Kyoto, Ōsaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Nagasaki,
Lake Biwa, Mt. Fuji
Read Varley 1-18
Read “Houses of Jōmon and Yayoi”
HW: take map quiz by Monday
HW: complete self-introduction assignment
WEEK 2
Date
M
9/6
W
9/8
F
9/10
Date
M
9/13
W
9/15
F
9/17
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
CLASS TOPICS
Labor Day Holiday - no classes
Shintō shrines (Ise, Izumo, Kasuga)
Buddhism
From Yamato state to Prince Shōtoku
CLASS TOPICS
Read “Shinto Shrines”
Read “The Neighborhood Shrine”
Read Varley 19-42
Read “Seventeen Article Constitution” “Ancient
Capitals”
WEEK 3
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
The Japanese language, Japanese
writing
Read “The Japanese language”
Nara literature: Man’yōshū, Taketori,
Kojiki, Nihon shoki
Temple architecture, capital design
Read Varley 43-47
Read “Heijō and Heian” “Heijō: First Great Capital”
“Horyūji Temple”
WEEK 4
Date
M
9/20
W
9/22
F
9/24
CLASS TOPICS
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Heian court culture
Read Varley 48-66
Monogatari and poetry
*Genji summary
Heian capital design / shinden tsukuri
Gagaku video
Read Varley 66-76
Read “Heian capital” “Shinden style” “Daily Life in
Shinden mansion” “Commoners Dwelling”
“Architecture of the Pure Land”
WEEK 5
Date
M
9/27
W
9/29
F
10/1
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
CLASS TOPICS
====MIDTERM #1====
Art and literature at the end of an era ;
Read Varley 77-90
War tales, Heike
Biwa hōshi music
Read: Tale of the Heike, chapter 9
WEEK 6
Date
M
10/5
W
10/7
F
10/9
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
CLASS TOPICS
Politics in medieval Japan
Kamakura bakufu
medieval aesthetics
Famous medieval essayists
MoMA and TNM collection / emaki
Virtual field trip
Read Varley 91-112
Review: 102-105
WEEK 7
Date
M
10/11
W
10/13
F
10/15
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
CLASS TOPICS
Kitayama culture
Noh theater, linked verse
Discuss Atsumori
Read Varley 113-139, “Structure of Noh stage”
Two temples
Zen Buddhism
Read “Golden and Silver Pavilions”
Read Varley 140-163
Read: Atsumori
WEEK 8
Date
CLASS TOPICS
M
Sen no Rikyū and the tea ceremony
10/18
W
Castle towns
10/20
F
Gardens, temples, etc.
10/22
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Review: 160-163; 127-129
Read “Japan’s Premodern Cities”
Read “Shōin style” Review: 127
WEEK 9
Date
CLASS TOPICS
M
Tokugawa period unification
10/25
W
The three tenors: Saikaku,
10/27 Chikamatsu, Bashō
MT review session
F
The city of Edo
10/29 ukiyoe and print culture
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Read Varley 164-182
Read Varley 183-204
Read “The Edo Metropolis” “Architecture of Kabuki
Theater”
Tōshōgū
Date
M
11/1
W
11/3
F
11/5
Date
M
11/8
W
11/10
F
11/12
Date
M
11/15
W
11/17
F
11/19
Read Varley 205-234
CLASS TOPICS
WEEK 10
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
====MIDTERM #2====
Black Ships
Civilization and Enlightenment
Meiji constitution, 2 wars
Bunmei kaika illustrations
CLASS TOPICS
Read Varley 235-255
Read Varley 255-270,
Read: Beefeater, Peep Show
WEEK 11
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Highlights of Meiji literature,
RR, newspaper, lighting
No class – Veteran’s Day Holiday
Read Varley 271-288
Taishō democracy, Shōwa fascism
Read Varley 288-303
CLASS TOPICS
WEEK 12
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Visualizing consumer culture,
Imperial Hotel
The Second World War
Read “The Department Store”
The postwar constitution
Culture in the postwar period
Read the postwar Constitution
Read: Intro to Re-made in Japan
Date
CLASS TOPICS
M
11/22
W
No classes – Thanksgiving Holidays
11/24
F
No classes – Thanksgiving Holidays
11/26
Date
CLASS TOPICS
M
11/29
W
What does ‘borrowing’ say about
12/1 Japan? (postwar remix)
Read Varley 304-324
WEEK 13
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Read: “For Beautiful English Life”
Read: Dave Barry Does Japan excerpt
WEEK 14
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Read Ivan Morris, “Mind Your Language”
Read James McWhorter, from Power of Babel
F
12/3
Date
12/6
three decades of growth, pop culture
(50s, 60s, 70s)
postwar icons you need to know
CLASS TOPICS
Japan and the Globe
Discuss “Gross National Cool”
Identify: 1964 Yoyogi Olympic Pool, Genbaku
Dome, Tokyo Tower, Okamoto Tarō, Banpaku 1970
WEEK 15
TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S CLASS
Read “Gross National Cool”
Superflat: the visual aesthetic of anime Read “Superflat Manifesto”
and the contemporary moment
12/10 Discussion, evaluations
12/8
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.