ESOPExchange Students from Overseas Program

Japan is a nation that has undergone huge changes in the last 150 years, transforming from a feudal society ruled by warriors, to an expansionistic imperial state, and then to a modern democracy with a pacifist constitution. This course explores how issues of militarism, pacifism, and nationalism have shaped Japanese identity and history.

One event that took place over 70 years ago – the Second World War – looms large over Japan’s current politics and society. This course will explore how postwar Japan has struggled to come to grips with a war that was fought in the name of a “Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere,” yet resulted in millions of deaths throughout Asia and left Japan’s major cities in ruins. The war brought about years of American Occupation and the adoption of a constitution that bans Japan from officially maintaining a military or waging war. Through lectures, group discussions, and student presentations, we will gain a better understanding of how these issues have influenced Japan’s society, its domestic politics, and its relationship with its Asian neighbors. This course is not a traditional history of Japan’s conduct in wars. Rather, it is an interdisciplinary examination of Japan’s war experience and its impact on postwar Japan. This course will trace Japan’s journey from a militaristic autocracy to a pacifist democracy.

By the end of the course students will be able to:
•Demonstrate an understanding of social scientific approaches to historical memory, national identity, and nationalism
•Express viewpoints on various perspectives of current controversies in East Asia involving the remembrance of World War II
•Evaluate the importance of the pacifist and anti-war movement in postwar Japanese society & politics
•Analyze the domestic and international significance of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
•Integrate historical discussions into an understanding of the current security situation in East Asia, and Japanese political debates over re-militarization and national identity
•Construct analytical essays and engage in discussions concerning major issues

英語 / English

Class sessions will consist of lectures and discussions(in-class and via online forum posts).

All assignments will be submitted in electronic format via the Hoppii system. Feedback will be provided via written comments on assignments on the Hoppii system.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※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.[対面/face to face]：Introduction / Background History

An introduction to the outline of the course and some background history on pre-modern Japan.

2.[対面/face to face]：Militarism, Empire, and War in Meiji Era Japan (2)

Part 1 of a discussion of Pre-World War I Japanese society and the military.

3.[対面/face to face]：Militarism, Empire, and War in Meiji Era Japan (2)

Part 2 of a discussion of Pre-World War I Japanese society and the military.

4.[対面/face to face]：The Interwar Years

World War I, Taisho Democracy, and the rise of Military influence

5.[対面/face to face]：The Pacific War (1)

A discussion of the international events leading the World War II, as well as gender and wartime Japan

6.[対面/face to face]：The Pacific War (2)

A discussion of the home front and air raids in Japan

7.[対面/face to face]：The Pacific War (3)

A discussion of the atomic bombings of Japan

8.[対面/face to face]：Defeat and War Crimes Trials (1)

A discussion of Japan's defeat in World War II

9.[対面/face to face]：Defeat and War Crimes Trials (2)

A discussion of Japan's surrender and the postwar war crimes trials conducted by the Allied Powers

10.[対面/face to face]：American Occupation (1)

The social and political changes brought about by foreign military occupation of Japan

11.[対面/face to face]：American Occupation (2)

The social and political changes brought about by foreign military occupation of Japan

12.[対面/face to face]：Postwar Reconciliation and Memory Disputes (1)

Part 1 of an overview of postwar attempts at remembrance and reconciliation, and the controversies that surround them.

13.[対面/face to face]：Postwar Reconciliation and Memory Disputes (2)

Part 2 of an overview of postwar attempts at remembrance and reconciliation, and the controversies that surround them.

14.[対面/face to face]：Postwar Reconciliation and Memory Disputes (3)

Part 3 of an overview of postwar attempts at remembrance and reconciliation, and the controversies that surround them.

Students are asked to read or watch the news and have some working knowledge of everyday news events. We'll discuss topical news items and media coverage in class, so students should have an interest in current events in Japan and the wider world. The average study time outside of class per week would be roughly 4 hours.

There is no textbook for this course. Reading lists will be provided per week.

It is not required that students purchase any books, but these titles could be helpful for better understanding some of the topics discussed in class.

Hashimoto, Akiko. The long defeat: Cultural trauma, memory, and identity in Japan. Oxford University Press, 2015.

Seraphim, Franziska. War memory and social politics in Japan, 1945–2005. Brill, 2020.

Seaton, Philip A. Japan's contested war memories: the'memory rifts' in historical consciousness of World War II. Routledge, 2007.

Saaler, Sven. "Japan’s soft power and the “History Problem”." In Remembrance–Responsibility–Reconciliation: Challenges for Education in Germany and Japan, pp. 45-66. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2022.

Yamaguchi, Tomomi. "Ramseyer, the Japanese Right-wing and the “History Wars”." Journal of International Women's Studies 24, no. 9 (2022): 4.

Zulaica y Mugica, Miguel. "The Ambivalence of Culture of Remembrance: The Controversy over the “Comfort Women”-Statue in the Relationship between Japan and Germany." In Remembrance–Responsibility–Reconciliation: Challenges for Education in Germany and Japan, pp. 125-140. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2022.

吉田裕. 日本軍兵士: アジア・太平洋戦争の現実. 中央公論新社、2017.

For each week of the class, there will be reading/lecture response assignment due (at least 250 words, to be submitted on the Hoppii online system) - 50% of the grade for this course.

There will also be a mid-term assessment, which is to prepare a plan for your final paper - 10% of your grade.

The Final Paper, due at the end of the semester - 40% of the grade in this course

An updated list of reference readings has been added to the syllabus to provide students with more resources to draw upon when writing their final papers.

None.

N/A