The course examines the Tale of Genji, the 1000-year-old masterpiece of Japanese literature about the commoner son of an emperor whose romantic dalliances, poetic sensibilities, and otherworldly beauty take him to the heights of political supremacy. The story of Hikaru Genji, “the shining prince,” is considered the pinnacle of classical literature and endures in Japanese cultural memory, inspiring works of traditional theater, art, and popular media. In this course, we will read key passages from this classic text in English translation, acquainting ourselves with its modes of literary expression and major themes. We will also examine the political and social contexts that shaped its production, reproduction, and reception. Finally, we will engage with the tale’s various retellings and reinterpretations across media and history to consider the role that adaptation plays in redefining the meaning and value of cultural expression.

Japan during the so-called “Bubble Period” was a decade of decadence and consumer excess fueled by an unsustainable asset price bubble that would burst in the early 1990s and bring about the “Lost Decades.” Before then, however, the country rode a wave of affluence that reverberated in the cultural mainstream. In this course we will focus on the fiction and films of Japan in the 1980s, while also examining manga, music, and city landmarks, in order to understand a society and culture in a decade of prosperity. This examination of diverse cultural forms will introduce us to interpretive strategies drawn from various disciplines. We will consider how cultural productions reflected the urbanization, technological growth, and consumerism of the decade, but also, how some of the works interrogated the costs and repercussions of such exuberance on its society.

This course is designed to explore the contemporary Japanese culture and language from historical, social, and linguistic aspects. It will introduce the brief history of Japanese culture and language, including its writing system, and discuss how they have changed over time. The course will especially emphasize the linguistic aspect of the contemporary Japanese society and culture by drawing examples from anthropological, linguistic, and socio-linguistic studies. Major topics are traditional and modern writing systems, diversity among the speakers, and language in pop culture. Additional topics include gender differences, geographical differences, style shifting, and register. No prior knowledge of Japanese language/culture is required.