Year in Japan Program
2014 -2015 Japan Studies Classes
Students are required to take two courses per semester.
Fall Semester
1. Introduction to Japanese Linguistics by Prof. Haig
This is an introductory course in linguistics using Japanese data. Linguistics is the science that studies
human language. The aim of the course is to introduce the fundamental concepts and tools used in the
analysis and description of language. We will begin with the smallest units of spoken language, sounds
and move on to large units: words, phrases, and sentences. We will use these tools to take a brief look
at language change, social and regional dialects, and writing systems.
2. The post-war period of Japanese history by Prof. Tsu
This course offers an overview of Japanese history with an emphasis on the postwar period. The aim is
to help students recognize broad patterns of development and long-term trends. Students are
encouraged to explore how history has shaped the present and influences the future by enabling and
constraining individual and collective choices. After taking this course, students will be able to: (1)
Describe and explain patterns and trends in Japanese history; (2) discuss how history has shaped
present-day Japan and influences its options for the future, and (3) approach issues in contemporary
Japanese society with an awareness of the relevant historical context.
3. M&A and Corporate Governance in Japan by Prof. Bebenroth
This class deals about business and covers topics like Mergers and Acquisitions. Furthermore, expatriate
research and human resource based issues will be investigated. The lecturer is a born German but by
now about 10 years living in Japan and well informed about Japanese business practices. As some of the
students are new to the field of business, the level will start from a low base, so that everyone can join
us to discover the Japanese business situation of today, especially in the field of M&A. In a friendly
atmosphere we will learn that topics like M&A are important, fascinating but and easy to understand.
4. Early art of Japan: Buddhist art and visual culture by Prof. Szostak
This course explores the art of Japan’s early periods (prehistory through the 16th century) with special
emphasis on Japanese Buddhist art and visual culture. The course structure combines reading- and
lecture-based learning with a significant outside-the-classroom component in the form of multiple field
trips. The class is tailored to take advantage of the many temples in the greater Kansai region that were
central to the development of Japanese Buddhism and its art, as well as the presence of several
museums that will allow students to experience first-hand the art objects under study. Student who
successfully apply themselves in the course will emerge at its conclusion with a knowledge of the values
and beliefs associated with the various schools of Japanese Buddhism, and how these are represented
through such media as painting, sculpture, ritual implements, architecture, and garden design.
5. Joint Seminar (discussions lead by guest speakers and with Konan students: no or 1 credit
course )
This class is a joint course with Konan students. The goal of the class is to provide students an
opportunity to improve their language skills in a different kind of class. Guest speakers present
interesting topics and talk on such environmental issues, social issues, Animal rights, Movie industry and
Animations and Manga. It is hoped that the topics will be interesting, but students keen to improve their
language skills and enjoy the challenge of communicating with Konan students are likely to find the class
more satisfying.
Spring Semester (Year in Japan Program)
1. Later Art of Japan: the rise of Japanese modernity by Pref. Szostak
This course explores the art of Japan’s later periods (late 16th century through the present day) with
special emphasis on early modern, modern, and contemporary art and visual culture. The course
structure combines reading- and lecture-based learning, group research projects, and field trips to
museum and significant sites. Based as the course will be in the Kansai region, we will take advantage of
the art collections housed in the museums of Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto. The art of Edo/Tokyo will also
receive close study, with an overnight field trip planned to allow students to experience the Kanto
region’s art offerings. Students will be asked to analyse artworks in relation to their historic context in
early-modern and modern Japan, and in doing so, they will become aware of the diversity of visual
forms global modernism may take, some of which will be very different and even contradictory to
expectations, highlighting the non-topicality of Western cultural values and biases with regard to what
makes a culture “modern.” Student who successfully apply themselves in the course will gain knowledge
of the modes of Japanese art and visual cultural, both “high” and “low,” that emerged during Japan’s
Edo period and continued to develop and evolve through to the present day.
2. Japanese Translation. Prof. John Haig
This course will examine both the theory and practice of translation, particularly translation from
Japanese to English. Students will read articles and examine how the concepts and theories presented
in the articles are realized in existing translations. Students will also do translations in a variety of fields,
ranging from literature to newspapers to social and natural science articles. Practice translations will be
submitted without identifying marks and the different student translations will be discussed in class by
all participants.
3. Socio-economic studies of Contemporary Japan. Prof. Wang
The course has two parts, both of which look at various case studies from a multidisciplinary
perspective. One part is the study of behavioral economics, covering choices, values, anomalies, and
irrationality. In this part, students read textbooks of behavioral economics and learn how to take the
nature of human into account in the context of economics. Students are encouraged to discover our
behavioral patterns and reveal the forces that influence our decisions in the real world by using
questionnaires and experiments. The other part is an introduction to newly-made expressions reflecting
contemporary Japanese transformation in a changing economic and social environment from a multidisciplinary approach, which includes economics, sociology and linguistics. This part investigates the
intricate relationship between economy and society in modern Japan. It is intended to help students
gain a basic understanding of contemporary Japanese economy and society.
4. Exploring Japan’s Modernity through Literary Discourse by Prof. Holca
This course will focus on two main themes and several sub-themes, in order to explore developments
and trends in modern Japanese literature and culture. In the first half of the course we will read literary
works dealing with the encounters between Japan and the world from the beginning of the Meiji period
to the present. Next, we will turn our attention to literary works illustrating the way modernization
redefines human relations, and focus on topics such as family, friendship, love, etc. This course will also
provide background information and analytical methodologies which will help you put literary texts into
perspective, while questioning the dichotomies “Japan-West”, “modern-traditional”, and looking at
“literature” as their locus of dialogue.