Modern Japanese History: From Samurai to Pokemon

3–5 credits · Undergraduate

(95C is 3 units; 195C is 5 units.) Japan's modern transformation from the late 19th century to the present. Topics include: the Meiji revolution; industrialization and social dislocation; the rise of democracy and empire; total war and US occupation; economic miracle and malaise; Japan as soft power; and politics of memory. Readings and films focus on the lived experience of ordinary men and women across social classes and regions.