The Creation of Modern Japan 1568-1945

3 units

This course explores the creation of modern Japan from the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate through World War II. A political and historical narrative will be complemented by a strong emphasis on Japanese cultural expressions. Alongside primary historical sources, our reading will include Amy Stanley's fascinating account of a woman's life in 19th-century Tokugawa Japan, Stranger in the Shogun City. We will also discuss Yukio Mishima's novel on Japanese culture at the cusp of modernity, Spring Snow, and Eri Hotta's Japan 1941, which enlivens some of the decision-making behind Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. We will also read selections of poetry as a window into the Japanese aesthetic. By balancing historical narrative with cultural expressions, the course develops a robust understanding of change over time in modern Japan.