The Public Servant and Other Heroes: A Political & Social History of Japan Through Film

3 units

A history of modern Japan from the mid-19th Century to the present, this course focuses on the important role that bureaucracies, staffed by public servants, have played in shaping the economic, political, and social realms of Japanese life. We will make use of Japan's rich visual culture by viewing and discussing Japanese feature films, many of which celebrate public servants. The assigned films, screened in Japanese with English subtitles, will likely include The Twilight Samurai, To Live, and Shin Godzilla among others. The films have been selected based on their attention to key turning points in Japanese history, including the transition to modernity, problems surrounding World War II, and 3/11, the tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear disaster of March 11, 2011. Through written and visual materials, students will gain a better understanding of Japan, public service, and the utility of film for understanding the past.