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• An understanding of the main debates in the historiography of modern Japan; identify the leading positions within these, together with their theoretical underpinnings; and relate the Japanese case to both the global experience of modernization and modernity.
• A command of the current and past scholarship on a particular topic, and an ability to design a research project on that basis.
• An ability to present their work effectively in both oral and written form
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This course examines the historiography of early modern and modern Japan with particular emphasis on the nexus of social and economic change from the Tokugawa to the Taisho and early Showa era (1600 to about 1930). By addressing the question of the relationship between early modernity and the radical transformation to industry and empire experienced by Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, students will read and discuss in-depth to the historiography of English language scholarship published alongside Japan’s rise to prominence as a global power.
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Course Outline
Term 1
Week
Theme
Reading and Writing Assignments
Wk 1
Introductions
READ the following:
McLaughlin, “All Research is Fieldwork: A Practical Introduction to Studying in Japan as a Foreign Researcher”
Wk 2
The Tokugawa Polity
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
John W Hall, ‘Rule by Status in Tokugawa Japan’
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 3
Tokugawa Polity Continued
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Mary Elizabeth Berry, ‘Public Peace and Private Attachment: The Goals and Conduct of Power in Early Modern Japan’
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 4
The Bakuhan Economy
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Smith, ‘Premodern Economic Growth: Japan and the West’
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 5
Tokugawa Society
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Mary Elizabeth Berry, ‘Public Life in Authoritarian Japan’
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 6
Throwing Off Asia
EVERYONE must READ the following:
A) Dower, 'Throwing Off Asia I'
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 7
Yasukuni Shrine
This is our first Active Participation Excursion.
Wk 8
Meiji Ideology
READ ALL of the following:
Hopper, 'Civilization and Enlightenment
Gluck, 'Ideology and Imperial Japan'
Gluck, 'The Late Meiji Period'
1889 Constitution of Japan
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
First Essay Due to Moodle by Friday at 11:55PM.
Wk 9
Modernization
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Beasley, ‘Meiji Political Institutions’ in Cambridge History of Japan
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 10
Great Powers
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Iriye, ‘Japans Drive to Great-Power Status’ in Cambridge History of Japan
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 11
Industrialization
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Tsurumi, 'Introduction, Background and Beginnings'
Tsurumi, ‘The Loom and the Brothel’
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 12
Hibiya Riot
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Gordon, ‘Social Protest in Imperial Japan'
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 13
Edo-Tokyo Museum
This is our second Active Participation Excursion.
Wk 14
Political Protest
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Gerteis, ‘Political Protest in Interwar Japan'
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
Wk 15
Informal and Formal
Empire
EVERYONE must READ ALL of the following:
Ienaga, 'Co-Prosperity Sphere'
DISCUSSION LEADERS:
A) _________________________________
B) _________________________________
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Assessment:
Assessment Weighting (%) Due Date (by 11:55pm) Length (words)
Essay 1 35 3500
Essay 2 50 5000
Presentations 5 1000
Class Participation 5 NA
Active Learning 5 NA
NB: Your final grade will be determined entirely by coursework. There is no final examination for this class.
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Class will last 90 minutes each week, comprised of an admixture of short lectures and seminar discussion. You should complete the assigned reading prior to attending the seminar for which it was assigned. You are also strongly encouraged to consult the Gordon or Jansen surveys of Modern Japan whenever you are uncertain of something. You are expected to participate by reading and discussing essential books and articles and preparing two Critical Essays.
Coursework Submission Procedures:
Essays 1 and 2 must be submitted to via Moodle by 11:55 pm on the due date. Further instructions are available on the Moodle site for this course. Late submission of written work will be penalized by the loss of TWO percentage marks per working day. Please be aware that regulations on plagiarism apply to all work submitted as part of the requirement for any examination. Coursework should be marked and returned no later than one calendar month after submission. If you have not received coursework back in a reasonable time, contact the course tutor or the PG tutor.
Attendance and Participation:
Your attendance is required for at least 80 percent of class sessions and 50 percent of Active Learning opportunities. You are also required to make no less than two presentations on an assigned reading (see signups below). You should notify your tutor or the Faculty Office in advance if you are unable to attend seminar for good reason. All absences are noted, and if absences persist you may be prevented from taking the written examination for the course.
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During the term you must give one or two presentations (depending on class size). These are for 5 percent credit toward your final mark, and are required as part of your duty to participate in class discussions. The presentation should offer an analytical overview of the article/book chapter/book and should include a historically informed assessment of how it links to that week’s assigned readings. Each presentation must not take more than 15 minutes (10 minutes is the goal). You should pay particular attention to:
Content
– Not just a summary
– Well-informed
– Critical thinking
Organization
– Effective introduction (incl. road map) and conclusion
– Good transitions (signposting)
– Does not exceed time limit
Delivery
– Appropriate language; audible, well-modulated voice
– Eye contact
– Posture
Handouts are preferred, but PowerPoint is acceptable. Upload your handout by 11pm the night before your presentation OR bring enough hard copies for everyone in the class including the instructor.
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