History of Asia 423 / East Asian Studies 423
History of Modern Japan

Introduction

Overview of Course

One older textbook on modern Japanese history opens by stating that Japan rarely makes the headlines. This is certainly not true anymore, as Japan and the United States have become increasingly important to one another. Yet many Americans don't know much about Japan beyond the headlines. Studying modern Japanese history enables us to understand the Japan of today.

When does "modern" Japan begin? Modern Japan probably began with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when a group of samurai overthrew the Tokugawa government and "restored" imperial rule, consciously setting Japan on a path of modernization. But the Meiji Restoration had its roots in the Tokugawa period that preceded it. The Japan of today has grown out of the political, economic, and social reforms enacted during the Meiji period, which in turn were possible because of the foundations laid in the Tokugawa period. Thus we'll briefly cover the Tokugawa period while focusing on the period from 1850 to the present.

Japan has experienced tremendous change over this period and transformed itself from the feudal military government of the Tokugawa period to the economic super power it is today. But this transition did not take place without the tragedy of World War II and the failed vision of Japanese hegemony in Asia. In this course we will be looking at the process of this change in modern Japan. We will look at political, economic, social and intellectual trends. We will also need to look at Japanese culture. This can help explain the decisions and choices the people have made, both collectively and individually.

Objectives

After successfully completing this course you will

• have the background for understanding Japan as a country and a culture;
• be able to put contemporary Japanese events into an historical context;
• be able to discern both the traditional and modern contributions to Japan's economic success;
• gain a broader understanding of Asia as a whole;
• have an understanding of the process of modernization and change in Japan and be able to apply that knowledge to other late-developing, non-Western countries.

About the Online Environment

Your online course offers several advantages to the traditional classroom, including the comprehensive Online Student Handbook, the ability to communicate electronically with students and with your instructor, and links to a rich array of online resources.

Online Student Handbook

This handbook answers questions about your online learning course, such as how to purchase your text, schedule an exam, obtain a transcript, and get technical help if you need it. The handbook also provides additional resources, such as how to order books or journals from the library and how to study for an online course.

Communication with Your Instructor and Student Peers

• Online Discussion Forums, designed by the University of Washington award winning Catalyst team, allow you to communicate with other currently enrolled students and with your instructor. We encourage you to use the forum to exchange ideas, resources, and comments about your course work with other students in this course. This unstructured forum is monitored by your instructor.
• You can use e-mail to ask me a question or preferably post your question on the discussion forum, where I will provide responses.

Online Resources

As an online student, you have access to a wealth of Web resources compiled to provide fast, easy access to information that supports your online learning experience. Organized by subjects, Online Resources link you to sites with help for writing and research, study skills, language learning, and library reference materials. All links have been assessed for credibility and reliability, and they are regularly monitored to ensure their usability.

Textbooks

The main text for the class is Kenneth B. Pyle's Making of Modern Japan. This text will provide the historical framework for the course and also introduce some of the important issues and debates in modern Japanese history. It is clearly organized in a chronological arrangement. Be sure to make use of the glossary at the back (especially important because there will be quite a few Japanese words) and the index, as well as the bibliography. The new edition of Pyle, 1996, contains expanded treatment of post-World War II Japan from one to four chapters.

The articles in the packet of supplemental readings give a more in-depth analysis of key events and issues in Japanese history. One article, for example, will examine the Japanese rationale for pursuing hegemony in Asia in the 1930s. Another will look at what Japan learned from the West about industrialization. Generally, they will be more challenging and require more time than the text. But they will give you the chance to put your newly acquired knowledge to work as you analyze and interpret the opinions presented by various scholars.

Finally, your reading list includes a novel, The Makioka Sisters, by Junichiro Tanizaki. When studying the history of a foreign country, it is extremely valuable to understand that country's culture. And what better way to learn about Japanese culture than through a novel? (A field trip, perhaps? Are you ready for car washes and bake sales?) Tanizaki is one of Japan's foremost writers, and The Makioka Sisters is one of his finest works. I think you will find the story, set in 1930s Japan, very engaging. The plot revolves around the search for a husband (through arranged marriage) for one of the four sisters. The backdrop is Japan as it moves toward involvement in WWII. It offers a detailed and intimate look at Japanese culture and interpersonal relationships during a time of great transition for Japan.

Program of Study and Assignments

Each lesson will consist of a reading assignment, a list of key terms, my commentary on the readings, and study questions (some for self-study and some to be graded). The calendar included on the course syllabus will help you schedule your time.

In approaching your study, I would recommend skimming over my commentary first, paying particular attention to the key terms and the study questions. Then do the reading assignment, keeping in mind the key terms and study questions, and finally, read over my commentary. Both the key terms and the study questions will highlight some of the important issues and ideas you will need to be familiar with. Reading these before you do the other reading will direct you to the meat of the lessons. Once you have finished with the lesson, write out a short (paragraph) description of each of the key terms, explaining its historical significance (why it is important and what it has meant to Japanese history). Also, write out your answers to the study questions. Doing these things will help you prepare for the exams. (See below for more information on exams.)

You might also want to keep a running time-line for yourself. Make a list of important events and when they happened. I know that many people think history is just a "bunch of dates," and time-lines reinforce this idea. Well, I hope that one thing you learn from this course is that history is much more than just dates. In a certain way, dates are not really that important. What is important is that you understand the sequence of things, and how events relate to and lead to one another. This is how a time-line can help—it allows you to visualize how events are related to one another.

Your assignments will be as follows: after each unit you will be required to submit your answers to the study questions to me for part of your grade. For these assignments you will be asked to answer questions on the information from the text and from the supplemental reading. I would recommend writing approximately one page in response to each question. Another of your written assignments will be to write a review of The Makioka Sisters. I will be more specific about this later, but briefly, this will be a two-page, typed, double-spaced paper in which you discuss the book, its characters, and what the author is trying to say. (You should read this assignment and my discussion of the book before you start the book and review.)

For information about submitting assignments, see the “About Your Instructor” page on the course syllabus.

Exams

There will be two exams: a midterm and a final. Each exam will have two parts. One part will ask you to identify terms from the key terms and explain their historical significance. (You will have to select five terms from a list of eight; there will be an element of choice.) The other part will be an essay question. Each test will have two questions to choose from, and you must answer one. If you feel comfortable with the study questions, you should be prepared for the essays on the exams, though the exam questions will be broader, in effect asking you to combine several of the study questions and look at broader trends over a period of time. The essay part of the final will be comprehensive, that is, it will cover the material from the entire course, while the key terms part will cover only those terms used since the midterm.

Grading and Point System

Written Assignments (50 points each)	350 points
Book Review	75 points
Midterm	75 points
Final	100 points
Total possible:	600 points

A = 90%   (540-600 points)
B = 80%   (480-539 points)
C = 70%   (420-79 points)
D = 60%   (360-419 points)

A Note on Japanese Pronunciation

You will encounter many Japanese terms and names in this course. At first this may seem a little daunting, but you will get the hang of it if you take a little time. I think it is important to know how to pronounce the words or you'll have a harder time remembering and making sense of them, especially since you won't have the benefit of hearing me say them. It could be like reading a Russian novel where you see a name like "Khvylovy" and you decide to call him "Mr. K." By the end of the novel there are ten "Mr. K"s and you don't know who is who!

Japanese pronunciation is actually quite easy for English speakers. (If you think about it, you probably already know a lot of Japanese names and words: Mitsubishi, Fuji, Toyota, Subaru, samurai, sushi, etc.) Consonants are pronounced the same as in English ("G" as in "girl" and "J" as in "joy"). The only unusual consonant sound is "tsu," which is pronounced like the "ts" in "nuts." (Or think of the word Datsun.)

As for the vowels, they are pronounced as follows:

A = ah
E = eh
I  = ee
O = oh
U = oo

I will include the pronunciation for the Japanese terms in the first few lessons. With practice you will have little trouble with pronunciation.

About Your Course Developer—Mary Hanneman

I have my Ph.D. in Japanese history from the University of Washington. I'm originally from Washington state (the dry side) but have lived in all four corners of the country. I've taught Asian history at places as diverse as Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and Deep Springs College in California. My husband teaches American history at the University of Washington, Tacoma Campus and we have two sons, born in March 1989 and October 1991.

I became interested in Japan because I lived there with my family when I was young. I went to kindergarten and first and second grades there. I remember the Japanese kids used to poke my eyes to find out whether blue eyes could see too. In college I began to study Japanese history, and I really enjoy the foreignness and the uniqueness of it. But I've also found that the more I learn about Japanese history, the more able I am to make sense of other countries, including our own.

Student Information

I would like to know something about you—what your background is and why you are interested in this particular course. So please introduce yourself by completing and submitting the Student Information form on your syllabus.

---

©2006, University of Washington. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.