Modern Japanese History

Course Overview

Students will watch the recorded lectures outside of class. In class, we will use the time to discuss those lectures and analyze primary source materials.

Key Features

Class assessment is based on your two primary source analyses and your final paper or project.

Strategies for Success

1. Lectures
   Rewatch the lectures at home on the YouTube channel, referring to the reference materials and weekly readings. Take notes if necessary, but not on specifics. Pay attention to the big issues, the big themes and questions that animate the lectures. The details will be much easier to retain if they are part of a comprehensive narrative that you have internalized.
2. Primary Source Analyses
   Read the "Reading a Primary Source" document, provided separately, for information on what primary sources are, why the are important, and how to effectively engage with them as a historian. In your analysis, refer specifically to the questions on page 3 -though this does not have to be exhaustive.
3. Final Project
   Refer to the guidelines, provided separately. Begin thinking about your paper or project topic early so that you can produce thoughtful, refined (edited) work.

Course Aims

The course has the following principal goals:

1. to become conversant with a general narrative of events (1850-present)
2. to learn to read and interpret primary documents

Course Content

Fri 4 will be lecture. The lectures will be videotaped and made available online for review and/or for students unable to attend.

Mon 1 will focus on discussion of the previous lecture and primary source materials.

Textbook

None. All readings will be made available through the class website.

Reference Materials

To supplement your knowledge of Japanese history as needed, I recommend the library's electronic copy of:

• Tsutsui, William, ed. A Companion to Japanese History. Blackwell Publishing.

Course Schedule

Session	Contents
2	Bakumatsu
3	"Restoration?"
4	Meiji I
5	Meiji II
6	WWI
7	Interwar I
8	Interwar II
9	WWII
10	Rebuilding
11	"Doubling"
12	"Bubbling"
13	"Losing?"
14	TBA

Assignments

1. Weekly readings
2. Two primary source analyses (One page each)

• Reading a Primary Source

3. Final paper or digital humanities project

• Analytical five-page paper on one of three provided topics.
• Group project using digital technologies to present data in innovative and informative format.

• Paper and Project Guidelines

Link

https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfrp4p55cII&feature=youtu.be

Evaluation

• Monday Attendance 35%
• Source Analyses 30% (15% each)
• Final paper/project 35%

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