Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Fall, 2012
Room 330 Museum
T/TR 1:30-3:00PM
Dr. Yoko Nishimura yokonish@sas.upenn.edu
Office Hours: 10:00-1:00PM or by appointment
Office: Room 424 Museum
Ancient Japanese Civilization (ANTH 285/EALC175)
Course Description and Objectives
This course surveys the emergence of early Japanese civilization from prehistoric times to the Nara period
in the 8th century A.D. Analytical focus will be placed on specific topics, including the significance of
population movement, the influence of Chinese civilization, the centralization of political authority, the
development of Japanese language and early literacy, and the roles of ancient Japanese religion and
mythology. These topics will be examined from archaeological, anthropological, and historical
perspectives. The course aims to provide a thorough foundation for further study in Japanese history and
culture.
Required Textbooks (available at the campus book store)
 Imamura, Keiji
1996 Prehistoric Japan: New Perspectives on Insular East Asia, UCL Press, London.
(ISBN-1857286162)
 De Bary, William Theodore et al.
2001 Sources of Japanese Tradition Vol.1: From Earliest Times to 1600. Columbia University
Press, New York. (ISBN:0231121393)
 As additional required readings, journal articles and book chapters will be provided.
Course Requirements and Grading
Students are expected to complete the readings prior to class. Attending the lecture is essential to
organize and substantiate the concepts and materials acquired in the reading. Actively participation in
group discussions in class is also important to review and further apply the course material, as well as to
exercise critical thinking and argument.
Your grade in this course will be based on two mid-term exams, a final exam, an analytical paper, and
participation in group discussions. Mid-term and final exams consist of multiple-choice and short-answer
questions. Students are to write a research paper (6 pages, double-spaced) on a selected topic related to
the emergence and development of ancient Japanese civilization (see the attachment for complete
instruction).
(1) Mid-term exam I (during class time)
15%
(2) Mid-term exam II (during class time)
15%
(3) Final exam
25%
(4) Research paper
25%
(5) Class attendance
20%
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
100 – 90% = A, A79 – 70% = C+, C, C59 – 0 % = F
89 – 80% = B+, B, B69 – 60% = D+, D, D-
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Class Schedule
Week 0
Sep 6
Introduction, geography and environment
Origins of the Japanese, population movement
(Karafet et al. 2009:137-148)
Week 1
Sep 11-Sep 13
Paleolithic period, stone tool industry, relation to the mainland, incipient pottery
Jōmon period, pottery, archaeological discoveries
(Imamura 1996:19-65)
Week 2
Sep 18-Sep 20
Jōmon period, hunting-gathering economy, transition to agricultural societies
Yayoi period, early settlements, agricultural economy, wet-rice fields, granaries
(Imamura 1996:67-77, 93-125)
Week 3
Sep 25-Sep 27
Yayoi period pottery, bronze and iron culture, ritual and prestigious objects
Immigrants from the mainland, Jōmon and Yayoi people. Yamatai chiefdom
(Imamura 1996:127-177)
Week 4
Oct 2-Oct 4
Kofun period, relation to the neighboring regions, Kofun, Haniwa
(Pearson 1992:187-215) (Barnes 1993:222-245)
Week 5
Oct 9-Oct 11
*Midterm I (in class) on October 11 (Thu)
Asuka period development of civilization, Tennō Political unification, Chinese
governmental system, reformations, Taihō Ritsuryō
(Totman 2005:60-86)
Week 6
Oct 16-Oct 18
*Bibliography and Abstract for Research Paper on October 18 (Thu)
Nara period, capital city, Daibutsu, Buddhist art and architecture, early Japanese
literature
(Varley 2000:28-51) (Hayashi 1975:54-68)
Week 7
Oct 25
No Class on Oct 23 (Tue)
Early documents about/in Japan, sociopolitical and daily life
(de Bary 2001:3-13) (Piggot 1997:15-43)
Week 8
Oct 30-Nov 1
Development of Japanese language
Development of Japanese writing system
(Takeuchi 1999:1-27)
Week 9
Nov 6-Nov 8
Ancient Buddhism, the role of Buddhism during the political unification of the 7th
century AD
(de Bary 2001:100-121)
Week 10
Nov 13-Nov 15
*Mid-term II (in class) on November 15 (Thu)
Confucianism, and Daoism, the role of these religions on the ancient Japanese
civilization
(de Bary 2001:40-42, 50-55) (Sekiguchi 2003:27-46)
Week 11
Nov 20
Japanese creation mythology
(de Bary 2001:13-31) (Reader 1993:64-84)
No class on Nov 22 (Thu)
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Week 12
Nov 27-Nov 29
*Research Paper Due on Nov 27 (Tue)
Shintoism, folk religion, architecture, ritual items
(Ellwood 2008:44-63) (Miyake 1996:79-96)
Week 13
Dec 4-Dec 6
Japanese customs, Matsuri, rites of passage
*Film: Japanese rituals
(Herbert Plutschow 1996:9-58)
~ Final Exam TBA ~
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