Course Description
This course deals with events of recent Japanese history, roughly centering on Japan”s involvement in the Pacific War. Each year the course will take an in-depth look at one or more of the following sorts of topics: Japanese colonialism, Japanese-American relations in the 1930s, the Nanking Incident and other wartime atrocities, the decision behind Pearl Harbor, the role of propaganda in the United States and Japan, the decision to drop the Atomic Bombs, the occupation of Japan, the Tokyo War Crimes Trial, the preservation of the emperor system, and the meaning of postwar Japan.
日本の太平洋戦争参戦を中心に近年の日本史上の出来事を扱う。次のトピックについて深い考察を行う：日本の植民地政策，日米関係，南京事件，真珠湾攻撃の決定，アメリカと日本のプロパガンダ，原子爆弾投下の決定，日本の占領，東京裁判，天皇制の保持,「戦後」日本の持つ意味など。
Contents of Lectures 17Lectures / 1 Video
September 10 / September 12
1.Introduction • Course introduction
• Imperialism, nationalism and the history of Japanese modernity
• Conflict in the 20th century: Liberalism, Communism and Fascism
September 17 / September 19
2. Wartime identity • Mobilizing for total war
• State Shinto and religious support for the war
• Discussion/Reaction paper 2
September 24 / September 26
3. Spiritualism vs. materialism
• World War II: embracing spiritualism
• The Occupation: embracing materialism
October 01 / October 03
4. Identities of defeat • Japan as victim of war
• Postcolonial identity in Japan
• Discussion/Reaction paper 3
October 08 / October 10
5. The “Cold War” paradigm • Aligning with the West (the new “datsu-A”)
• Problems of security and ambivalence toward the U.S.
• Discussion/Reaction paper 4
October 15 / October 17
6. Economic recovery and identity • Economic recovery from war and social transformation
• The identity of economic dominance
• Discussion/Reaction paper 5
October 22 / October 29
7. Collapse of the “bubble” economy • New economic realities
• Political realignment
• Discussion/Reaction paper 6
October 31 / November 05
8. Contemporary religious identity • Traditional religions and new religions in postwar Japan
• Aum Shinrikyō
• Discussion/Reaction paper 7
November 07
9. Hypermaterialism • The “otaku” identity
• ”Soft power” “Superflat” and post-bubble identity
Instructor: ESKILDSEN‚ Robert Alan | Language of Instruction: E
Major: History 歴史学 | Course ID: HST221 | Course Schedule: *4/W,*4/F | Update: 2016.03.28 Category: Major Courses