Japanese History

(2 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course will offer an introduction to premodern Japanese history (before 1600) from a global perspective. That is, we will approach the Japanese archipelago not as an isolated territory that seamlessly transformed into the nation state as we now know it, but as a geographical hub that has been shaped by various "foreign" encounters through the centuries. We will look at how trade, war, diplomacy, and ideas fostered international connections that have played crucial roles in deciding the trajectory of Japan's development.