Course manifesto As the first and most successful non-western country to "modernize," Japan has intrigued historians, political scientists, economists, anthropologists, and social theorists, most of whom have brought a battery of now familiar questions to the study of Japan. The most typical questions asked--and variously answered--include: How did two-and-a-half centuries of relative peace since the 17th century prepare Japan (or not) for entering the modern international arena in the 19th century? How did Japan, with limited natural resources for industrial development, manage to avoid the colonial situations of neighboring countries and instead become a colonial power in its own? What led the country to a catastrophic war with the Allied Powers? How was Japan, within a generation after that war, able to stage the remarkable economic recovery that some have dubbed a "miracle"? We will be working not only to form intelligent responses to these and other questions; we will also want to consider broader human issues in a broader human perspective. Thus our attitude will be to examine topics such as modernity, enlightenment, nationalism, democracy, colonialism, capitalism, labor, citizenry, protest, beauty, mass culture, gender and class distinctions in general as they are manifested in Japan's case in particular. Since these issues largely involve overlapping areas of culture and politics, our investigations will engage cultural and political productions of Japan from around the turn of the 19th century to the end of American occupation of mainland Japan in 1952. Course materials (all required; buy at bookstore or amazon.com via the links provided. hint: amazon is cheaper in some cases, but order in time!) McClain, Japan: A Modern History Saga, Memories of Silk and Straw Dower, War Without Mercy Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows Web Modules ("Engaging Visions") Electronic Readings (ER) Course work Course work is designed to appeal to a variety of tastes (200 total points): 1 Map Quiz covering basic territory. 10 points. 3 Engaging Visions, short writings based on readings and Web Modules. 3 x 10 points. 1 Midterm Exam combining keywords, essay, and short document analysis. 50 points. 1 Endterm Exam similar in form to the midterm. 50 points. 1 Historical Production, a carefully researched and innovatively presented piece of historical fiction completed in stages [see "Producing a (Hi)story"]. 40 points. Class participation, which includes: punctual attendance of class and films, preparation of readings (I reserve the right to administer unannounced diagnostic tests), and quality contributions to discussions and activities. 20 points. Always bring the syllabus and current readings to class!