Ghosts, and Other Creatures in Japanese Culture

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) Shapeshifting foxes, vengeful ghosts, tables with furry legs, Godzilla, and even Pokémon: these are some of the otherworldly beings that hold a global interest. Students in this course explore how legends and local histories of monsters, animals, and deities play an important role in shaping the relationship between humankind and nature in Japanese culture, from the eighth to the twenty-first centuries. Learners survey a menagerie of such creatures from Japanese literature, manga, film, and anime, as well as explore how such beings are treated in scholarly essays and historical texts. Crosslisted: REL-2728 Experimental Course - This course is offered on a trial basis to gauge interest in the topic. Students who successfully complete this course receive credit as indicated. Restrictions: Students may not receive credit for both REL-2728 and EALC-2728.