courses

Samurai Traditions

HIST 3992 (Please note that the course number here will be reflected in your credit transfer as to the course number in the online application).

Instructor: Dr. David Rands, Ph.D

Course Description: (Special Topics in History) This course will cover the history of the samurai warrior class from their creation in the 8th-10th centuries to the dissolution of the samurai during Japan's modernization in the late 19th century and the reinvention of the warrior ethos in 20th century. Topics in this course will include: ancient imperial Japan and the rise of the samurai; the Gempei War and the Kamakura shogunate; Godaigo's imperial restoration and the Ashikaga shogunate; and samurai laws, household codes, and military philosophy that culminated in the bushido code; and bushido in WWII.

TEXTBOOKS (required):

Students are expected to attend all program field trips.

Deciphering Manga and Anime

HUMS 2090

Instructor: Dr. David Rands, Ph.D

Course Description: This course is designed to develop students' understanding of Japan through materials, such as anime and manga. Anime and manga are extremely popular and can be used to approach a number of historical, cultural, and traditional aspects of Japan. This course will explore Japanese language and society through the use of these media. Students will gain a better understanding of the different genre, historically significant, and current uses of manga, culminating in students visiting the Kyoto International Manga Museum. Students will also utilize anime as a lens through which to view Japanese society. They will evaluate several styles of anime and discuss the implications of different anime as a reflection of Japanese values. The inspection of anime will also provide an opportunity for students to evaluate the linguistic components of anime and the ways in which the Japanese language interacts with the visual presentation. 3 credit hours.

TEXTBOOKS (required):

Student will be required to purchase second-hand copies of manga (under $5 total). All other materials are in digital format and can be made available through the Canvas platform.

Students are expected to attend all program field trips.

Introduction to Japanese Art/Now and Then, Ancient to Contemporary Japanese Art

FA 1500/FA 4270

Instructor: Dan Rule

Course Description: An introduction to Japanese art where visual elements, concepts, history and social realities are examined through a study of key artworks from prehistoric times to the present. Important examples of Japanese painting, sculpture, architecture, garden design, fashion, comics, animation and advertising are explored with attention to the personalities of the artists and the history and culture in which they lived. This class will regularly visit Kyoto art museums, historically significant sites and contemporary art galleries giving students direct experiences beyond the boundaries of the history book.

TEXTBOOKS (required): 

Intermediate Japanese I

JAPN 2001

Instructor: Dr. Noriko Ito Krenn, Ph.D.

Course Description: A continuation of the development of all four language skills: speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. The course includes the study of approximately 100 Japanese characters, and the presentation and discussion of Japanese culture. This is a third semester Japanese language course. Prerequisites: JAPN 1001, 1002 or consent of the department. 3 credit hours.

Textbooks (required):

Genki II: An integrated course in elementary Japanese 
3rd Edition The Japan Times, 2020. (ISBN 9784789017329) 

Genki II Workbook 3rd Edition The Japan Times, 2020. (ISBN 9784789017336) 

Intro to Drawing in Japan/Advanced Drawing

FA 1001/FA 3301

Instructor: Dan Rule

Course Description: This is a beginning studio art course with drawing and mixed media. Students will create visual journals in the form of sketchbooks as they study drawing, manga, advertising, mixed media, and collage in the city of Kyoto and through various field trips. Sketchbook studies and student photos will be the starting point for more developed, individual-proposed projects. Traditional drawing as well as digital drawing are equally accepted practices. Japanese-centric drawing supplies (such as sumi ink, Gocco painting, transfer sheets, brush pens, etc.) will be demonstrated and students will have the option of working with them.

Class time will be used for discussion and exploration of ideas and group critiques, as well as field trips to various galleries and sites that will assist the student in gaining knowledge and understanding about the contemporary practices of Japanese draftsmen and artists.

TEXTBOOKS (required):

We will buy art supplies on a field trip in Kyoto, and experiment with Japanese pens and brushes.

Other possible field trips will be visiting art museums (Kyocera, Kahitsukan, etc.), the Manga Museum and the local contemporary art galleries.