Japan's Floating World

An introduction to visual, literary, and dramatic expressions of Japan’s moral and aesthetic values in the early modern period (17th-19th centuries). We will seek to identify recurring intellectual and cultural patterns, as illustrated in woodblock prints, Kabuki, puppet theatre, and popular fiction, with an eye to connections with later popular culture. Course materials are primary readings in translation, secondary scholarship, and audiovisual works. No previous knowledge of Japan or Japanese language is expected.