EAST 212: Introduction to East Asian Culture: Japan (Fall Semester 2011) Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:05

PM - 5:25 PM in Duff Medical Building THTR 1 and on Tuesday, December 6 (same time, same location). Professor: Adrienne Carey Hurley (email: adrienne.hurley@mcgill.ca) Office Location: 3434 McTavish, Room 204 Office Hours: Wednesdays from 2:30-3:30 PM and Fridays from 1:00-2:00PM Course Blog: http://humanities-japan.blogspot.com/ Note: Students will be seen on a first come, first serve basis in office hours unless the situation demands that the professor implement a sign-up sheet. The introduction of a sign-up sheet policy (if necessary) will be announced in class and on the course blog. Teaching Assistants: Christopher Byrne and Morgan Steacy Instructor/TA Communications Policy: Face-to-face communication is the most effective means of communication with the instructor. If you have questions regarding course content or assignments, you are encouraged to visit Prof. Hurley in person during office hours. Depending on the volume of email queries from students, it may take up to two weeks for Prof. Hurley to reply. Please plan accordingly. TAs may not exceed their contracted workload and thus have been instructed not to reply to email messages from students unless the instructor announces in advance that students may contact TAs via email regarding a specific assignment. Course Description: This course provides an introduction to Japan vis--vis contemporary and historical issues through the study of literature, culture, history, religions, philosophy and society. The course content offers students an interdisciplinary study of how different people and populations have experienced and critically engaged nation-building projects in Japan. This course thus offers a very selective overview of centuries of cultural production. Any time you take a survey course that claims to cover a culture or civilization, you will encounter that culture or civilization through someone else's selection process. The larger story of a people or a culture that emerges in this class or any other like it is shaped by the professor and what that person has learned, as well as her or his interests. In other words, instructors cannot purport to cover everything, so we should be honest that what we teach in survey courses is, by definition, at best partial, incomplete, and unfinished. We will strive for a flexible understanding of Japanese culture, but you should take this as a cautionary note any image of what Japanese means that you carry away from this class is merely part of a much larger and more complex picture. Taking the opportunity to enroll in other Japan Studies classes will help you explore the many ways in which multiple cultures have and continue to emerge in what we know as Japan today. This course will provide you with some key concepts and contexts to assist you in your further explorations. You will also be exposed to some of the research and work of other Japan Studies faculty at McGill to encourage you to take additional Japan Studies classes during your time here. All required readings will be in English. We will also watch films, all of which will be subtitled in English. As children, many of us begin learning about culture piecemeal and by association, at home, in school, and through friends and media like television. This class attempts to mimic that process. Instead of crafting a story of a culture with a beginning, a past, and a present, we will start off with a problem or situation fraught with significance in Japan today. Instead of having this problem defined for you, you will be tasked with working alongside other students to define the problem(s) on your own terms. We will then engage additional material that will help us better understand that issue, as well as others.

By the end of this course, students will not only have been introduced to complex issues of contemporary significance in and related to Japan, but also should be able to synthesize and analyze those issues critically and independently. This course is designed to provide students with an empowering literacy that expands their intellectual, social and political horizons, as well as their creative and critical thinking skills. The instructional method used by the professor will be a mix of traditional (unidirectional) lectures, small group work, discussion, and activities. Although the professor will endeavor to learn your names and provide as much individual engagement as possible, attendance will not be taken, and there is no attendance policy for this class. However, please be advised that powerpoint presentations and lecture notes will NOT be posted online or otherwise made available. The professor will not read off powerpoint presentations, but will use them occasionally to enhance lectures. Please also note that assigned readings will not be summarized in lectures. In many cases, the instructor will introduce related material or theoretical questions in lecture in order to encourage students to make their own connections and develop their own analyses of the course material. If you need to miss class, you may want to make an arrangement with a classmate who takes good notes. It is your responsibility (and not that of a TA or the instructor) to learn about any material you may miss. Evaluation: Students will be evaluated and graded based on one group assignment, one independent assignment, and three quizzes. Students have the option of completing two DIY alternative projects to substitute for either one quiz or the final assignment as described below. There is also one extra credit opportunity. The prompt for the first assignment is included in this outline. Students will receive the prompt for the final assignment on November 23. Small Group Assignment (due at the end of class on Sept. 14): 12% Quiz #1 (in class on October 5): 22% Quiz #2 (in class on November 2): 22% Quiz #3 (in class November 23): 22% Final Assignment (due at the beginning of class on Dec. 6): 22% Optional Extra Credit: Visual Underground Paper (due at the beginning of class on Sept. 21) DIY Alternative to the Final Assignment or one Quiz (due any time before Dec. 6): 22% DIY Alternative: Once at the beginning of the semester and once in mid-November, students will be invited to try a DIY (doit-yourself) project related to our course material. Students who successfully complete and submit both DIY projects will not be required to complete either one quiz or the final assignment. In other words, the successful completion of both DIY projects can substitute for a quiz or the final assignment. If you get a low grade on a quiz, you may choose to have your DIY projects substitute for that particular quiz. When submitting your second DIY projects, please indicate where you would like your DIY work to be applied. Participation in the DIY Alternative is entirely voluntary. The first DIY invitation is already posted on the blog at the following url: http://humanitiesjapan.blogspot.com/2011/08/diy-invitation-1-critically-engage-and.html Please note: DIY projects will be made public on the blog, and any comments you post to the blog will also be viewable by anyone, including people who are not in our class. It is highly suggested that you refrain from sharing information of a personally identifying nature (such as your address or phone number) on the blog. You may choose to use only your first or last name. You may also use a handle or alias, but please ensure you inform the instructor in order to receive credit.

Optional Extra Credit Assignment: In order to complete the extra credit assignment, students must attend at least one film program, symposium panel session, or keynote talk (each between 1 and 2 hours in length) in this major event organized by Professor Yuriko Furuhata, who sometimes teaches this course. The event, Visual Underground: Theatre Scorpio & Japanese Experimental Cinema of the Sixties," takes place from September 16-18. The film screenings will take place at De Sve Cinema at Concordia University, and the symposium will take place at McGill University on Saturday, September 17th. You may consult the website for additional information to help you decide which event(s) you would like to attend: http://www.visualunderground.ca/ After attending at least one film program, panel session, or keynote talk at the symposium, write a short (23 page) response paper. Your paper should be typed and double-spaced with no larger than a 12-point font. Please avoid summarizing the material and, instead, write about the significance of the ideas and films you encountered, as well as your reactions. Feel free to make connections to issues raised in your first assignment (if any) or comment on how you were affected by the films or lectures. Avoid making general or vague statements and, instead, discuss your response and thoughts in as specific terms as possible. The amount of extra credit awarded will be at the instructors discretion. Other Information: The use of laptops and other electronic devices during class is only permitted in the back rows of the classroom. This is particularly important when the instructor is using powerpoint presentations or showing films because the glare from your laptop is more likely to impede another students ability to concentrate when lights are lowered. Make sure that the volume is turned off if you use a laptop or any other device, such as a cell phone. McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see http://www.mcgill.ca/integrity/ for more information). In accord with McGill Universitys Charter of Students Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in English or in French any written work that is to be graded. Students may also be permitted to submit written work in Japanese. Please contact the professor as soon as possible if you would like to submit your written work in Japanese. If you have a disability that requires accommodation or consideration, please contact the instructor to arrange a time to discuss your situation or visit her during office hours. It might be helpful if you contact the Office for Students with Disabilities at 514-398-6009 before you do this. In the event of extraordinary circumstances beyond the Universitys control, the content and/or evaluation scheme in this course is subject to change. Furthermore, significant developments related to what is happening in Japan may lead to changes in the course content, such as assigned readings. Any such changes will be announced and explained in class and on the course blog as soon as possible. While there is no requirement for blog participation in this class, students are welcome to post comments and discuss the assigned material with one another on the blog. When appropriate, the professor may respond to students comments. Again, when posting comments to the blog, please keep in mind that the content is public. Additional policies governing academic issues which affect students can be found in the McGill Charter of Students' Rights" (The Handbook on Student Rights and Reponsibilities is available at http://www.mcgill.ca/files/secretariat/Handbook-on-Student-Rights-and-Responsibilities-2010.pdf) All required texts for this class will be made available on the class blog or WebCT. Due to the time involved in scanning and uploading material, some readings due later in the semester may not be available on WebCT at the start of the semester.

Class Calendar: Wednesday, September 7

The professor will provide an introductory lecture and explain the course format and goals.

Overview and goals of your first assignment:

The first set of required readings and videos address issues of profound contemporary (and historical) significance that will serve as our starting points for exploring the course subject this semester. All of the readings are intended for a general audience (newspaper reports, essays, blog posts, music videos, etc.). The first step is for you to identify and discuss the key question(s) and/or problem(s) based on the assigned material. Instead of being spoon-fed a thesis to explain a problem, you will be required to take an active role in defining both how we identify and understand it. The results of your efforts will help shape the direction of our course this semester and also provide a meaningful opportunity for you to engage in knowledge production. Because our class is large, you will work together in small groups to discuss and identify the questions/problems together. Through your deliberations in small groups, you will produce, as a group, a short (200-300 word) description of the problem(s)/question(s) you identify in the assigned readings. Your descriptions may also be presented to the entire class so that we all can encounter the problems/questions from as many approaches and according to as many terms as possible. If reaching consensus is overly challenging for your group within the amount of time available, do not worry. You may include mention of whatever impedes consensus in your formulation of a description and still contribute to our process and succeed in this assignment. Your description may, for example, identify more than one key problem or question. You will be graded on matters of composition and the intellectual merits of your description, as well as how effectively your description responds to the required material as a whole (and not, for example, on your ability to agree and/or share a uniform interpretation). Of course, if your group does reach consensus, that is also perfectly acceptable. As you go through the readings and videos to prepare for group work, try to identify the important issues and think about what YOU see as the key problem(s) or question(s) they raise when studied together. For example, you might ask yourself what links or connections you find among the different readings and videos. Alternately, you might think about what story the assigned readings and videos might tell when considered collectively. Try to identify arguments and claims in the assigned material, and reflect on what is at stake in those arguments and claims. Keep in mind that there are many ways to think about each of the readings and videos, as well as many ways to think about them collectively. Be prepared not only to identify problem(s), but also to discuss things like the meaning, magnitude, impact, and consequences of the problem(s)/question(s) in both local and global or planetary contexts. Your required readings and videos for September 12 and September 14 are posted (as links) on the class blog here: http://humanities-japan.blogspot.com/2011/08/small-group-assignment.html. Optional readings are also available on the blog. For this assignment, all group members should be comfortable working with the language in which the assignment will be submitted.

Monday, September 12
Make sure to read and view all of the required material prior to coming to class. There will be no lecture today. However, the professor will be available in class to assist groups in their deliberations. Several members of Montreals Japanese community, including people from the Fukushima are, as well as visitors from that area will be present to talk with your small groups. You may consider assigning some of the optional supplementary readings to different members of your group to read before the next class session if you think that will be helpful.

Wednesday, September 14
Working again in the same small groups, students will complete and submit their first assignment during class time. One member of the group should write your assignment on a piece of paper, and each group members name should appear at the top of the page. Your groups description will be graded. Each member of your group will receive the same grade. This assignment counts for 12% of your final grade in this course. Your descriptions or excerpts from them may be posted on the class blog, and we may refer to them throughout the remainder of the semester as we delve into more material together. Again, there will be no lecture today, but the professor will be available to assist you in your group work.

Monday, September 19
There are no reading assignments due for today. However, students are strongly encouraged to begin reading Ema Shs The Mountain Folk: Fictionalized Ethnography and Veiled Dissent by Scott Schnell (WebCT). The professor will share outcomes of your first assignment and introduce the next material.

Wednesday, September 21
Optional extra credit response papers for the Visual Underground film festival and symposium are due at the beginning of class. Finish reading Ema Shs The Mountain Folk: Fictionalized Ethnography and Veiled Dissent by Scott Schnell (WebCT) before coming to class.

Monday, September 26
Read The Legend of the Senpai by Tomoyuki Hoshino (WebCT) before coming to class.

Wednesday, September 28
Read An Account of my Hermitage by Kamo no chmei (WebCT) before coming to class. Todays lecture will be presented by Mr. Christopher Byrne, a doctoral student in East Asian Studies at McGill University, as well as one of the TAs for this course.

Monday, October 3
Read Comrade Taguchis Sorrow by Kobayashi Takiji (WebCT) before coming to class.

Wednesday, October 5
Review the course material thus far prior to coming to class. Quiz #1 will be administered in class.

Wednesday, October 12
Read In the Wasteland After the Bubble Burst by Amamiya Karin (WebCT) before coming to class.

Monday, October 17
Read Akira and Capitalist Modes of Destruction by Thomas Lamarre (WebCT) before coming to class.

Wednesday, October 19
Please listen to McGill student Bridget Gagns post 3-11 interview with Professor Thomas Lamarre at: http://east306.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/thomas-lamarre/ before coming to class. You are also encouraged to start reading Sayonara Tsai chien by Hwang Chun-ming (WebCT). Along with lecture, the professor will show excerpts from the 1975 premiere of the US television series Barney Miller and the French television miniseries Carlos (2010) in class today.

Monday, October 24
Finish reading Sayonara Tsai chien (WebCT) before coming to class.

Wednesday, October 26
Before coming to class, read Park Yuhas essay available here: http://japanfocus.org/-Park-Yuha/2923

Monday, October 31
Short readings about Mishima Yukio will be posted on the blog for today. Todays lecture will include excerpts from the film Mishima: a Life in Four Chapters.

Wednesday, November 2
Quiz #2 will be administered in class. Review all material from October 12-31 before coming to class.

Monday, November 7
Read the introduction to Empires and Assassinations (on WebCT) by Nait Chizuko before coming to class.

Wednesday, November 9
Read Chapter 6 of Empires and Assassinations (on WebCT) by Nait Chizuko before coming to class.

Monday, November 14
The assigned readings for this week will be posted on the class blog. In class, students will watch the first half of the film Seppuku. Please do not be late as the film will begin promptly at 4:05pm. While you may be able to view this film online and might choose to skip class today, you are strongly encouraged to come to class because this particular film is much less impactful on a small screen.

Wednesday, November 16
The second part of Seppuku will be screened in class today.

Monday, November 21
Read Japan, the Ambiguous, and Myself by e Kenzabur (available online at: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1994/oe-lecture.html) and I of the Ambiguous Identity by Hoshino Tomoyuki (WebCT) before coming to class.

Wednesday, November 23
Quiz #3 will be administered in class. Review all material from November 7-21 before coming to class.

Monday, November 28
Students will receive the prompt for the final assignment in class today. There is only one reading for the rest of the semester, the novel Death Sentences by Kawamata Chiaki (WebCT). Please start reading it for today. Like Kobayashi Takiji, Kawamata grew up in Otaru, Hokkaido. However, Kawamata was born in 1948, after the end of the Pacific War and fifteen years after Kobayashi Takiji was tortured to death. Please note that the lectures for today, November 30, and December 5 will not summarize this novel. The professor will introduce material and questions designed to empower students to interpret the novel independently.

Wednesday, November 30
Continue reading Death Sentences.

Monday, December 5
Finish reading Death Sentences.

Tuesday, December 6
Note: Although this class session falls on a Tuesday, we will meet in the same room at the same time. Final assignments are due at the beginning of class, after which there will be a short, concluding lecture and discussion.