ESOPExchange Students from Overseas Program

This course aims to explore visual arts in Japan and its development, focusing on traditional, modern and contemporary visual art movements, while providing students with a general understanding of the history of Japanese art.
Adopting interdisciplinary and practice-based approaches to arts and media, we will look at how visual art and its aesthetics have been shaped from a cross-cultural point of view, and how it influences Japanese life and perspectives today. Students can expect to gain a deeper understanding of Japan and its culture by the end of the course.

The course aims to nurture a critical eye for the visual arts in Japan through lectures and practice while referring to correlated art movements as well as the historical background of the arts in Japan.

By the end of the course, students will:
-be acquainted with various forms of Japanese visual art, gaining insights into the historical development of the visual arts in Japan
-possess a deeper understanding of visual expression, cultural concepts and aesthetics of today through exercises and discussions
-comprehend and apply standard terminology within the study of Japanese Art

*Note: Whether the course will be conducted fully online or face-to-face will be decided and announced by the university.

英語 / English

To develop student understanding of visual arts in Japan, the course will incorporate in-class lectures, practice-based tasks, discussions, readings, videos and guest lectures.

Students are expected to actively engage in weekly exercises and discussions.
Main assignments include:
-weekly short journal entries about the topics covered that day
-mid-term report covering topics discussed in the first half of the course. (More details will be announced during the course.)
-final presentation to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge of key concepts based on what they have learned through readings, discussions, and lectures. Students are to make a presentation as their final report on a topic of their choosing – subject to instructor approval – that relates to materials covered in the course. The presentation style will be announced during the class.

Students are are required to read assigned material before and/or after class and come prepared to discuss the content at each lecture. Preparation for class will take about two hours per week. The average study time outside of class per week would be roughly two hours. Weekly journal would be the main homework every week, and students are expected to bring or collect materials that relate to the topic to be covered in each lecture. Mutual feedback for your assignment and activity will be discussed at the beginning of each class.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：オンライン/online

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1.[オンライン/online]：Introduction

Introducing the course and expectations

2.[オンライン/online]：Eyes Towards Nature

Looking into abstracts and symbols

3.[オンライン/online]：Buddhism and Art in Japan

Exploring the influence of religious beliefs

4.[オンライン/online]：What Makes It “Japanese”?

Art of storytelling and its tradition

5.[オンライン/online]：Realism

Observing humanity in art

6.[オンライン/online]：Transience and Imperfection

wabi sabi in art

7.[オンライン/online]：Power of People

Media and mass art

8.[オンライン/online]：Guest Lecture

Aesthetic of beauty in forms and patterns

*The guest lecturer and date are subject to change

9.[オンライン/online]：Influence of Foreign Cultures

New waves of art movements

10.[オンライン/online]：The Role of Visual Art in Our Society

Diverse art expressions

11.[オンライン/online]：Summary+Research and Strategy

Summary of lectures+Guest lecture: How to develop your ideas

12.[オンライン/online]：Research and Strategy

Discussion and review of work-in-progress for the final presentation

13.[オンライン/online]：Final Presentation

Giving presentation

14.[オンライン/online]：Review

Presentation feedback session

Students are required to pre-read assigned material and come prepared to discuss the content at each lecture.
A weekly assignment will be given, and students will be required to submit a short journal entry related to the topic covered in each lecture.

* The assignment is subject to change depending on whether the class is face-to-face or online.

Course materials will be provided both during the class and online HOPPII / Google Classroom.

Recommended Readings:
While not compulsory, students are encouraged to read the following books:

1)Hideki Nakazawa. Art History: JAPAN 1945-2014. Art Diver, 2014

2)Doryun Chong. From Postwar to Postmodern: Art in Japan 1945-1989:Primary Documents (MoMa Primary Documents). Duke University Press, 2012

3)Joan Stanley-Baker. Japanese Art (World of Art). Thames & Hudson, 2014

4)J. Thomas Rimer, Toshiko McCallum. Since Meiji: Perspectives on the Japanese Visual Arts. 1868-2000. Univ of Hawaii Pr, 2011

5)Mason, Penelope E., and Donald Dinwiddie. History of Japanese Art. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005

Other Online Resources:
-Japanese Art
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_art#Miyabi
-Google Arts and Culture: Made in Japan
https://artsandculture.google.com/project/made-in-japan
-Japanese Art Metropolitan Museum of Art
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/discovering-japanese-art
-Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture collection
https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt500023mk/


-Students are also expected to follow Japanese news. Some useful links are:
https://mainichi.jp/english/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/
https://japantoday.com/
https://the-japan-news.com/
Students are welcome to share other media outlets in class.

Participation and Attendance 10%
Weekly Assignments 20%
Discussion Sessions 20%
Mid-term Report 25%
Final Presentation 25%

*Grading criteria is subject to change in accordance with the number of registered students.

Not applicable

*Handouts will be prepared for each class. All assignments must be submitted through the online platform and students are expected to bring a laptop if the class is being conducted face-to-face.
*Required equipment is subject to change depending on whether the class is face-to-face or online.

*HOPPII will be the main platform used to share class information, materials, reports, etc. Google Classroom may also be used for convenience and according to need.
*The guest lecturer is subject to change depending on whether the class is face-to-face or online.